The Trouble with Marrying Your Enemy
by matchmakerqtpie
Summary: Sequel to The Search For an Undercover Scoop. Draco proposes to Ginny and she accepts, but how will others react to the news? Pandemonium ensues as people strive to thwart the union between the two former enemies.
1. One Year Later

**The Trouble with Marrying Your Enemy**

**Sequel to The Search For an Undercover Scoop**  
  
**Chapter 1**  
  
It had been exactly one year from the day that Draco Malfoy had unexpectedly admitted his feelings for Ginny Weasley in front of about eighty-five guests during the middle of Hermione and Ron Weasley's wedding. That one outburst had affected Ginny's life, for she and him were together ever since. Today was their one-year anniversary, along with her brother and best friend's one-year wedding anniversary.  
  
Her brothers had gotten used to the idea of her and the blonde, but they frequently reminded him of Ron's promise. Ginny found it hilarious, but Draco didn't find the situation that amusing. Luckily for him, dating Ginny did not include dating her brothers as well, plus he didn't have to see them often. This worked for both parties.  
  
Things were a bit awkward between Draco and Ron. Ron was still holding a grudge against him from their years in school together. He held to the belief that people basically do not change, therefore Draco was still the same 'wanker' he had always been. His wife Hermione, on the other hand, graciously accepted Draco as Ginny's new boyfriend and acted comfortable around him. Ginny appreciated her friend's attitude towards him because it was never fun when your best friend and your boyfriend didn't get along.  
  
The year had gone smooth for Ginny. She had her dream job, her boyfriend, and was on good terms with her friends and family. Life was good or, at least in Ginny's eyes, just as good as it was ever going to get. For now her life was like a lake, sitting and waiting for something to come along and cause the water to ripple.  
  
This did not mean that she was free from any anxieties, actually far from it. Her job was proving itself to be more stressful then she imagined. There was the constant pressure of having to outdo herself with every article, along with the annoying feeling of never being able to live up to the expectations that people set for you.  
  
Her career was not the only aspect of her life that gave her concern; you have to consider her personal life as well. This particular morning, which happened to be a Saturday, she awoke around nine. She spent the previous night at Draco's; therefore when she woke up she found herself beneath silky dark green sheets in his Slytherin-like bedroom. The shades were half opened, sending a ray of light across the room. She turned to her side and noticed that her boyfriend was not there, so she intelligently concluded that he must have woken up before her.  
  
She slid out from under the covers, her bare feet touching the cold wooden floor, and picked up her clothes before heading across the hallway to the bathroom. Once there she took a quick shower and got dressed. Her damp red hair hung down as she looked in the mirror, thanking Merlin that this time Draco's house elf didn't try to clean the bathroom again while she was taking a shower. That had scared the crap out of her.  
  
Finally she walked out, in search of her boyfriend. She wondered if he remembered their anniversary, she sure did. She peeked in the kitchen and was highly disappointed. His house elf, Amphora, was busy at work cleaning up after the breakfast that she had just cooked. She stopped the minute she saw Ginny, as if she was scared that she would scold her, and asked her, "Is there anything you need Amphora to do for you?"  
  
Ginny shook her head no and replied, "Have you seen Draco?"  
  
The little house elf animatedly answered, "Yes, yes! Master is in the other room eating breakfast. Does Miss Weasley want anything to eat?"  
  
"Sure," Ginny responded as her stomach growling, openly agreeing with her. When the house elf moved, about to go get the breakfast for her, she stopped her by adding, "No, no, that's ok, I can get it myself."  
  
She felt guilty having someone wait on her without paying them, so she hardly ever let Amphora do anything for her. Hermione would have been proud. Ginny took a plate out of the cabinet, and then began to fill it with the various foods that the house elf made. After she set down her plate for a second, she looked around the kitchen, and then smiled when she saw a pot of coffee. He knew her so well.  
  
She then got out a mug and filled it with the black java. Before heading out to the dining area of Draco's apartment, she took a sip of the coffee. 'Mmm,' she thought to herself. 'Still warm.' Without coffee she would never be able to wake up in the morning.  
  
Ginny held her mug with one hand and her plate with the other. She set both down at the table, and then took a seat, looking up to see that Draco was sitting across from her. He was reading the Daily Prophet while taking occasional sips of his coffee. The plate in front of him was empty, and she noticed that he was on his second cup of coffee.  
  
As she sat down he gave her a cursory glance before returning to the newspaper. "Good morning sleepyhead."  
  
Good morning? That was it? What about 'happy anniversary' or 'it's been a great year'? She would have even settled for a 'you are the best girlfriend a guy could ask for'. But no, all he had to say was 'Good morning sleepyhead.' That sounds like something a father would say to their daughter, not to their girlfriend! Disappointment couldn't even begin to describe the way she was feeling at that particular moment.  
  
She didn't reply and instead took her anger out on the eggs in front of her. She stabbed them with her fork, and then chewed viciously, as if she was eating her enemy. Then she took her knife and began buttering the hell out of her toast. She even looked at her cup of coffee with a hint of contempt as she continued to eat in this manner.  
  
Draco didn't notice. Not so much as a 'something wrong hun?' came out of his lips as he finished reading the newspaper and set it down on the table. He downed what was left of his coffee, and then set the mug down before getting up from the table and pushing his seat in. He looked over at his girlfriend and said, "I have to go out today to run some errands, but you can stay here if you want. Either way, I want to see you later today."  
  
She gave him an evil glare, hoping that he would take the hint and feel guilty, but he did no such thing. When she didn't reply he took her lack of response as her understanding and agreeing with him. He then left the room, most likely to get ready for running his errands, and she was alone. Who was she kidding; he was never guilty for anything.  
  
Ginny took a bite of her toast, tearing it apart with her teeth angrily, while thinking 'How could he not remember?' This annoyed her to no end. She took a long swig of her first cup of coffee, finishing it, and then headed off to the kitchen in order to refill her cup. She would need a lot of the steaming java to help her get through the day.  
  
He left the apartment only five minutes later, giving her time to find something to do. She strolled through his apartment, as if it were her own. She had been there so many times that it felt like it was, although he never asked her to move in with him. That didn't bother her because she knew he was the type of guy who needed his space. It was hard enough for him to admit his feelings to her, them sharing an apartment would too much commitment for him to handle, or at least that was how Ginny looked at the situation.  
  
She re-entered his bedroom and sat down at one of his desks, setting down her mug of coffee as well. As she sat there, Ginny thought of something to do. She took a fresh piece of parchment, dipped the nearest quill in ink, and began writing a letter to her best friend. Normally she would call her, but Draco did not have a Muggle phone (of course) and she was sure that Hermione was busy anyway. Her slightly sloppy cursive handwriting read as follows:  
  
_Dear Hermione,  
  
Happy anniversary! Are you and my brother doing anything special for this one? I'm sure you will, even if Ron forgets, although I'm sure you already have that covered. The four of us should get together for dinner soon. Are you free tomorrow night?  
  
Anyway, I am angry with Draco right now. He forgot that it is our anniversary too. What angers me even more is that he didn't even notice I was mad. Now he is out 'running some errands' and I am alone in his apartment. Alone on our anniversary.  
  
I hope this letter reaches both of you in good spirits. Tell Ron that I say hi. Speaking of which, did you two agree on buying a house yet? Like with everything, he never wants to let go of what he has. Eventually you two will have to move though, if you are going to live up to my mum's dream of you having her a boatload of grandchildren.  
  
Write back soon,  
  
Ginny_  
  
Then, after signing her name, she folded the letter and walked over to the cage in which Draco's black raven was kept. She opened the door, let the raven out, and handed the letter to it. The raven grabbed the letter with its claws and waited for her to open the window. "Take this to Hermione Weasley," she uttered before it flew off, and she took her seat once more.  
  
She couldn't think of anything else to do. After finished her second cup of coffee she decided to go back to her own apartment. Then she could change, see if she got any mail, and find some way of wasting time. Plus, she felt weird being in his apartment without him there. It was like using someone else's wand, you just didn't do it. She would just come back later, if at all. So, with that in mind, she said goodbye to his house elf and took off in the direction of her home.  
  
Meanwhile Draco Malfoy was grinning in his mind. He couldn't wait to see Ginny's face when he surprised her with what he had planned for that evening. He picked up the ring at the jewelry store, spent some time complaining to the manager about how it took so long to be ready and he threw around the Malfoy name a bit, and then headed off to Le Ensorcellement, which was the very first restaurant that they had ever been to together.  
  
He went over the arrangement with the hostess, making sure that she remembered his orders. People were idiots and constantly forgot things, and he didn't want them to get this wrong. He had her repeat his requests, more like demands, and he looked over the room. When everything seemed in check he headed back to his apartment.  
  
When he got there it was empty, except of course for his house elf Amphora. Ginny had left, most likely to go home, but he was sure that she would be back. If not then he could always stop by her place and see what she was up to. He went to his bedroom, set the ring box down on his desk, and then out of the corner of his eye saw his raven fly in the window. It was holding a letter, so he took it and read the envelope. The letter was addressed to Ginny. He wondered why it was sent to his apartment, but then figured that she wrote someone from there, so he set down the letter and continued to prepare for the upcoming night.

* * *

**A/N: **Finally, the long awaited sequel arrives. I'll try to update within the next several days, it's hard with all this school work. Anyway, I would like to thank all of my reviewers from the first story, I hope you all like the sequel.

**Please review!**


	2. Daily Prophet

**Chapter 2**  
  
When Ginny got home she fed her owl and checked her mail. She flipped through the Daily Prophet, only stopping to read certain articles that she deemed important, and meanwhile turned on the sports channel to listen to as she read. Unfortunately, this Weasley was not that good of a mutlitasker, and her interest in the newspaper began to lack as she turned her eyes to look intently upon her television. They were replaying a Quidditch game she had missed a couple nights before. She had originally intended on watching it the night it was occurring, but she ended up working late.  
  
Eventually, after watching the entire game and the analysis on it and the teams involved, she found herself looking back at the newspaper in front of her. She indifferently turned the page, not expecting to see anything as half as interesting as the Quidditch game was, and her eyes landed on an article that took up the following two pages.  
  
The headline read "THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC RENOVATION". She, of course, had to keep reading. Her father and two of her brothers worked there, not to mention Harry who handled certain cases for them and Hermione who worked as an Auror, therefore this was a subject that could hit home for her. After reading the first half of the article she got the gist of what was going on.  
  
Basically the topic of the article was that, after one complete year of investigation due to Ginny's hard-hitting piece on the Ministry's cover-up, the Ministry was getting a makeover. Certain people who worked there, many in high places, were going to be "temporarily taken out of office until proven innocent of all charges". Not many names were mentioned, but she knew that Cornelius Fudge would definitely be one of those people. Considering his character, and how he loves his position and power of being the Minister of Magic, he was probably not taking this new development very well. She imagined the portly little man with a bright red face and steam pouring out of his ears after he found out about this decision, and she had to suppress her laughter in order to continue on reading.  
  
Now she would certainly have to talk with Ron as soon as possible. Also she should probably owl her father and ask him about it. She was almost sure that the people mentioned would not include her father or Ron, but what about Percy? He had a job on Fudge's staff, therefore wouldn't it make sense that since Fudge was "temporarily taken out of office", Percy would be too? She knew that he would be very upset about that, but she was almost afraid to ask him about it. She didn't feel like having her brother flip out on her.  
  
Or maybe she would just go visit the Ministry headquarters in London herself. Her father would probably be in his level two office. At least for this trip she could apparate there instead of having to take a train and put up with all of that Muggle train nonsense. Last time she did that, well, let's just say she had one hell of a strange trip. Right now her mind was focused on the one task at hand, finding out as much about this renovation as possible. She could write an article about it first thing, of course discussing the aspects of the reformation that were not mentioned in the currently circulating paper. One question was floating around in her mind that would most likely go unanswered. Why hadn't she found out about this sooner?

And why didn't Draco mention it?  
  
There was no way he missed that article. Actually, that was probably what he had been engrossed in at breakfast. He probably thought that she would end up reading about it herself, or maybe he didn't even see how the news would affect her. Oh well, she would have to deal with him later. After all, didn't he say 'I want to see you later today'?  
  
Setting down the paper, she walked over to a desk where there was a pile of clean parchment sitting next to a quill and a bottle of ink. She sat down, picked up the quill, dipped the quill into the ink, and then pulled a piece of the parchment to rest in front of her. Then she began to write a short note to her both parents, but more directed to her father.  
  
It simply inquired after them, her brothers, and more specifically about her father's job. After she sent the note off via her owl, she retook her seat at the desk and remembered that she had owled Hermione earlier that day. The response should have gotten to Draco's apartment within the past several hours, so she would have to go there to pick it up, or she could always just make him come to her. Yes, that could be fun...  
  
Draco looked at the time. If Ginny were coming back then she would have been there by now. He had been impatiently pacing about his living room, and then suddenly stopped. This would be an even better opportunity for him to appear more gentlemen like then he had originally intended. Yes, this would end up working for him nicely.  
  
He was wearing a black dress suit that looked brand new, his hair was carefully slicked back, and he double-checked himself in the mirror before heading out to make sure that not a hair was out of place. After all, a Malfoy did have to maintain appearances outside of their home, despite the circumstances of their current engagements.  
  
Then he was off, the letter in his left pocket, the black ring box in his right pocket and a dozen roses in his left hand. He knew the proper way to "woo" a woman, and he confidently apparated to Ginny's apartment building. He made two loud pounds on the door, and then waited for her to answer it. What he was lacking in entrance he was surely making up for in presentation.  
  
Ginny heard the noise at her door and immediately guessed who it was. She was dressed casually, not expecting to leave her apartment that night to go anywhere, except for perhaps Draco's apartment if he apologized. She waited a moment before answering the door, purely to annoy him. One of his pet peeves was when people were not timely. She frequently liked to use that to her advantage.  
  
She yawned disinterestedly as she opened the door, and then turned her head, expecting to see an irritated Draco Malfoy standing there. Instead, she was greeted by a grinning, plan up his sleeve Draco Malfoy. She wasn't sure which one she liked better, but she took the roses that he offered and fully opened the door, inviting him to enter before she walked over to her kitchen and proceeded to put the roses in a vase of water.  
  
He followed after her, closing the door behind him, and leaned on the kitchen counter, his eyes never leaving Ginny. He knew exactly why she was acting the way she was, or he liked to think that he did, and so he paid no attention to the cold shoulder she was giving him. It was only a matter of time before she realized the error of her assumptions, and then she would be the one apologizing to him. Ahh, how great it was to be a Malfoy.  
  
When she was done, Ginny looked at him and noticed that he was dressed up. This was not a rare sight, for Draco always tried to look his best, therefore there was no cause for alarm, but what about the flowers? Maybe he did remember...  
  
She gave him a cock-eyed look, like she was trying to sort everything out in her head, and then he decided to talk. "So, aren't you going to get dressed? We don't have all night, the reservations are set for eight-thirty."  
  
What? He did it again! That little sly son-of-a-gun... She just had to love him. Ginny's eyebrows furrowed down and she asked, "What reservations?"  
  
Now he took this as an opportunity to play out the situation in his favor. His face dropped, on purpose mind you, and he replied in an overdramatic shocked tone of voice, "What do you mean? You didn't forget, did you? It's our anniversary."  
  
Ginny could not believe him. All this time she thought he forgot and now he was acting like she was the one who forgot. He was a piece of work, that one. "Of course I didn't forget! I thought you were the one who forgot."  
  
He smirked and then responded, "Well, you were wrong. Now hurry up and go get dressed, we don't want to be late."  
  
Ginny felt herself smile for no apparent reason and inside she was mentally cursing at herself. She had never felt like more of an idiot. Ok, maybe once before, but now she just felt like a jerk for jumping to conclusions. She walked to her bedroom, and then went through her closet in search of something appropriate. She came across a black dress and decided that would be good enough, so she put it on and then ran her brush through her hair. Taking one short peek at herself in the mirror she concluded that she looked good enough, and then went out to meet Draco in her living room.  
  
He was waiting for her on her couch, and when she entered the room he stood up and offered his arm to her. She accepted, thinking that him being raised as a Malfoy was good for something for it taught him some manners, although there were more negatives then positives, and then they left her apartment. As they made it to the stairs he stopped walking.  
  
"Oh, I almost forgot," he said, placing his hand in his left pocket and pulling something out of it. "This letter came for you earlier today."  
  
Ginny took it from him and read the print on the envelope. "Ginny Weasley" was written on the outside of the white envelope. Yes, this was definitely for her. She could tell by the handwriting that it was from Hermione, she wrote in a distinctive slanted cursive, and besides who else would have sent a letter for her to Draco's apartment?  
  
She stuck the note in her purse and decided to read it later. It probably wasn't that important anyway, and she didn't want to be late for their reservations. It was nice to get surprises like that, but still Ginny would like Draco to inform her of these kinds of things in advance. Some people need to be prepared. What if she had planned something for them and it coincided with his plans? She would talk to him about that later, but not on their anniversary. Wouldn't want to ruin the mood, ay?  
  
As Draco lead the way, Ginny noticed that everything looked familiar. She looked up at the outside of the restaurant and read the name. 'Le Ensorcellement,' she thought to herself after reading it. 'Where have I heard that name before? There is something strikingly familiar about it. What could it be?'  
  
She was so preoccupied with trying to figure it out that when Draco opened the door for her she didn't notice. "Ginny?" he asked, giving her a puzzled look.  
  
She ignored him and then her head shot up as she was suddenly hit with the answer. "But of course!" she exclaimed, to herself more than anyone. Then she noticed Draco and entered the restaurant, silently thinking to herself, 'This was where we had our first date, after the Quidditch match. That seems so long ago now. Does that even count as an actual date between us? I mean, he did think that I was someone else...'  
  
The hostess greeted them warmly, Ginny knew that it was all because of his name, and then led them through the restaurant to the back where all of their important customers had private rooms. She clearly remembered the way from before, and was not surprised to see what was on the other side of the door. It looked almost exactly the same as it did when he took her there before, yet at the same time better. There was an artificial night sky over them, with shooting stars and the whole bit, grass on the floor, a little patio with the table and chairs, the red candles...  
  
Draco pulled out a chair for her and Ginny immediately sat in it, watching as he walked around the table and seated himself across from her. Looking at him she smiled, realizing that now she could actually enjoy the romantic scenery that the restaurant had to offer.

* * *

**A/N:** Couldn't help but continue. Next chapter will be the, wait why am I going to tell you when I should just make you read it? lol. Sorry the chapters are short, but I don't really have time to write longer ones. Anyway, thanks to all who reviewed! I love you all! (in a platonic way of course)  
  
**numbluver-** Well, he only said two lines the whole chapter, lol, so we'll have to see. I'm trying to keep them in character, but oh well.  
  
**MemoriesOfYou-** :-)  
  
**PottyforPotter-** I'm glad you liked the first chapter, I'm always bad at those. I agree, if Ron and Draco ever did agree on something/get along I'm sure everyone would be shocked.  
  
**ShadowVixen90-** Enthusiastic are we? ;-)  
  
**Cherdy the Molologist-** Yay, glad you liked it.  
  
**cookielover-** lol, Don't worry, I plan to keep writing. :-)  
  
**fieryred20-** Thanks.  
  
**All-** Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**REVIEW!**


	3. The Night Sky

**Chapter 3**  
  
As Ginny sat in her chair she felt as if she were going through some sort of deja vu. It was like she had gone back in time, but at the same time not. She had a completely different view on the person in front of her now, and even she herself had changed. Funny how that works...  
  
Soon their food appeared in front on them, and Ginny noticed that this time it was some other sort of culinary delight. It looked almost too perfect to be eaten. It was most likely another special recipe for the Malfoys, so she did not question it. Besides, sometimes it was just better to eat the food instead of ask what it is. The truth was not always something that a person should know. Some things were just all too frightening.  
  
As they were eating music came drifting through the room. It was a soft classical piece, played on a violin, and did its best to set the mood of the environment. The music was not too loud or too quiet, set at just the perfect volume. Therefore, it was loud enough to hear but not too loud as though you can't hear the people who are talking to you.  
  
Ginny ate, not speaking much, basically because how she grew up she had to eat quickly before any of her older brothers finished off everything in the kitchen. Plus, there was not much for her to talk about. She had realized the error of her ways, but was not intending on apologizing. Why should she? Besides, she didn't want to bring up any topic that could ruin their anniversary. So that was why she stayed abnormally quiet.  
  
Naturally, on the other hand, it was only a matter of time before one of them began to speak. Yes, they were at dinner, but that was a time when many people held conversations. Seeing as they were the only two people in the room, the task would fall on them. Draco just so happened to be the first one to speak, as he frequently was. "What do you think of the meal?"  
  
Ginny looked up and smiled, swallowing what she had been previously chewing on, and then taking a sip of wine before she could reply. "It's good. I was surprised that you would take me here again, you know, because of the circumstances of the last time we were here."  
  
"Well," he began while swirling his glass of wine with his right hand. "I knew you liked the place last time and you have to admit, you were impressed."  
  
The redhead did not reply. She liked to think that she couldn't be bought. At the time he was referring to she was not impressed with him, she was simply there to work. Ok, maybe she had been a teensy bit impressed on that "date", but she wouldn't let herself get carried away with it. Actually, that is a lie too, she did fall for him, but it had nothing to do with his money.  
  
Then she thought about when he had first asked her out. He was quite the sneak, dodging around her questions and changing topics. They had both lied to each other back then. A great start to a strange relationship, don't you think?  
  
What did he do for a living anyway? He never talked about work, and Ginny even doubted that he had a job. It was apparent that he had enough money from his father to live off of; so working wasn't necessary for him. If he did indeed work for his father like he had said that he did, then she didn't know. He never mentioned his father either. Actually, she never even met any members of his family, yet he met many of her relatives.  
  
This fact began to bother her. Was he ashamed of her? Was that why it was always just the two of them, and she was never introduced to any friends or family? She understood not meeting his parents, after all they were stuck-up rich purebloods, and Ginny came from a line of what they called "dirt poor mudblood lovers", but there has to be more to his life.  
  
And why hadn't Ginny wondered about this before? That one-year had flown by rather fast, that's true, but you would think that this would have come up before. Actually, she probably had thought about it before, but didn't put too much of an emphasis on it because their relationship was new and, due to the circumstances of everything, she couldn't expect him to introduce her to everyone he knows. Besides, you simply don't go around interviewing people.  
  
She sighed, and then realized that she had yet to respond to her boyfriend. Looking up, she said, "I can't believe that it has been an entire year."  
  
He noticed that she had been deep in thought, and decided to lighten the mood. "You know what they say, time flies when you are having fun," With a small wink he added, "And you know we have had a lot of fun together."  
  
She knew exactly what he was referring to and couldn't help but smile. The candlelight flickered, causing light to dance over the table. Ginny studied the blonde across from her. He was grinning, his eyes looked particularly gray with a shine, and he had just swallowed a swig of wine. 'How come I never noticed before that he looks good in any kind of lighting?' she mused to herself, glad that she was allowed to bask in the good-looks that are Draco Malfoy.  
  
"You know what Draco," Ginny began, thinking about how only a couple hours earlier she was convinced that he forgot about their anniversary. She never knew what was going on in that handsome head of his. "You are always full of surprises."  
  
'You have no idea,' he thought to himself. He couldn't wait to see the expression on her face. Of course she would say yes, no woman would ever reject a Malfoy, but just seeing her reaction would be entertaining. She definitely had no clue about what was to come. He would wait a bit, and then at the end of dinner catch her by surprise.  
  
So with another sly smirk, Draco decided to change the topic of the conversation as a distraction technique, while at the same time learning some information to help him with the honeymoon planning ahead. "So, name one place in the world that you would like to travel to."  
  
That question came out of nowhere, but Ginny supposed that it was one of those random conversation starter questions; therefore she began to ponder her answer. There were many places that she wished to travel to, so it was quite a hard decision to make. Making a mental list in her mind, she glanced at him and asked, "It has to be only one?"  
  
"Preferably," he responded. "But there may be exceptions."  
  
She nodded and thought back to her list. There were just too many places; France, Italy, Spain, New Zealand, Jamaica, Germany, and the list goes on. So which one would she choose? Can't tell you, because she didn't even know herself. Frowning, she gave up and said, "I can't just pick one, there are too many to choose from!"  
  
Draco sighed. How hard could it possibly be to pick a destination? It wasn't like he asked 'Ok now pick which one of your brothers will life while the rest die', so she should be able to narrow her list down a bit. Then again, this was Ginny here, and she always ended up making things more difficult then they should be. "Relax, just pick one for now, you have the rest of your life to visit the other places."  
  
"Fine," she replied, randomly choosing a place from her mental list. "Germany."  
  
He nodded, mentally recording her response. He didn't know why or how, but there was just something about this girl that he, believe it or not, loved. How was that even possible? It was like some weird experiment Cupid was playing out for fun. That thought disturbed him. If a little chubby guy could make any two people fall in love, then what other damage could he do?  
  
Meanwhile, they were both finished eating their main dish; therefore the dirty dishes disappeared and in their place appeared a spoon with small glass cup that contained some chocolate mousse with a strawberry on top. Also their wine glasses were refilled and over on the side of the room appeared a telescope. Ginny found that quite strange, after all the night sky was fake and besides what did the restaurant expect her and her boyfriend to do with a telescope anyway?  
  
She took the strawberry off the mousse and began to eat it, noticing that Draco was watching her. Then she continued to cautiously finish her dessert, as did he, and then they both proceeded to wash the chocolate mousse down with their wine.  
  
After they finished and their empty glasses disappeared, Draco stood up and walked around to pull out Ginny's chair. She stood up, expecting for them to both leave, but instead ended up watching as Draco walked over to the telescope. She followed him, inspecting him as he looked through the telescope and began to move it around a bit. Finally he stopped and summoned her over to his side.  
  
He stepped back for her to look, and she walked up. She leaned towards the telescope, not paying attention to the man who was several steps beside her, and looked into the telescope in front of her. The stars looked beautiful, and if she didn't know any better then she would have guessed it to be the actual night sky. Magic was a wonderful thing.  
  
She was admiring the scene for a few minutes before she realized there was something odd about the stars. They began to move around the artificial sky and form a shape. Startled, she waited for the stars to stop moving about. Eventually they did, and she put the telescope into focus more so that she could make out what shape they landed in.  
  
To her surprise it wasn't even a shape at all. The stars had actually moved to form letters. Ginny was amazed and began to read what words the letters spelled out to herself. "Will you parry me?" she asked out loud in confusion, wondering what that was supposed to mean. Then she looked again, trying to make sense of what she was seeing, and then realized what she had read wrong. "Oh, it says will you marry me," she mused, laughing at herself for making that mistake. It wasn't until after she said the words out loud that she realized what they meant.  
  
Ginny's face dropped and she turned to look at Draco. He was taking something out of his pocket with a grin on his face, and all she could do say stutter, "Will you marry me? Marry- you- what the- what is going on here?"  
  
Draco held out a small black box and opened it, revealing a rather large diamond that quite literally blinded Ginny, which was odd because the only light that it could be reflecting was from the candles. The diamond was nestled on a silver ring between two slightly smaller diamonds. Confidently, Draco asked, "Ginny, will you marry me?"  
  
Still in shock, Ginny looked from Draco to the ring to Draco again, completely speechless. She could not believe her eyes, or ears. So he was proposing, that she understood, but it was all so sudden. She definitely did not see this coming... and the ring, the ring was gorgeous. The ring was gorgeous and he was handsome and everything was perfect, except her response. "I don't- I don't know what to say," she stammered.  
  
"Say yes," he told her, but not in the pleading way that many men did. He never pleaded with anyone for anything, no he was merely telling her what he knew she would say if she hadn't been caught so off guard.  
  
A smile began to spread over her face, with a mix of anxiety, and she mouthed, "Yes!" He smiled, yes actually smiled, and took the engagement ring out of the box before sliding it onto her ring finger. Ginny held out her hand, admiring the ring, before she threw her arms around her new husband-to-be.

* * *

**A/N:** There you go, now the proposal is out of the way. What an interesting couple we have... Anyway, I'm happy to see that people are actually reading this- and enjoying it. That makes me happy :-)  
  
As always, I won't update until you all **REVIEW**! (Thanks)  
  
**Granger17-** Thank you, I'm glad you like my stories. Actually, I usually update instead of doing my homework, lol, because homework is oh so boring.  
  
**Cherdy the Molologist-** Thanks, I try.  
  
**reagan-felton-** Yup, lol. Thanks.  
  
**numbluver-** Thanks  
  
**cookielover-** lol, I knew something was a bit strange about that review...  
  
**urges-** Glad you like. Oh, and about the Hermione news thing, it doesn't necessarily have to be "bad" news... But that's all I am going to say! Bwa-ha-ha!  
  
**Flavor of the Week-** Thanks  
  
**All-** Thanks so much for reading **and **reviewing! You are the best! 


	4. Robes for the Rich

**Chapter 4**

Ginny could not believe this sudden change of events. Who would have thought that a Malfoy would marry a Weasley? This was like a joining of the two clans, perhaps to end the battle between them, but most likely only to add fuel to the fire. This thought, of course, was not currently in Ginny's mind. Instead of analyzing the possible consequences of this event, she was thinking about other aspects of this unexpected proposal.

She was flattered that he wanted to marry her, not that she thought he was too good for her, but she knew how highly he viewed himself and his family name... But oh how happy she was! And to think that only a little over a year ago she was convinced that she was going to die an old maid... It was all so exciting, yet relieving and nerve-racking at the same time.

Draco was not surprised by this reaction, only elated. The entire time he had been confident about her response, believing that any girl in their right mind would accept. Granted, Ginny was not always in her 'right mind', but how could she refuse him? The possibility hadn't even occurred to him. Good thing she accepted... Yes, he was getting married young, but it was tradition in his family to get married even younger then he indeed was.

They were both satisfied with how their anniversary turned out. Ginny found herself unable to go five minutes without looking at her engagement ring. She knew that it must have cost a lot, but for a person such as Draco with excess funds it would only be a nominal price to pay. Regardless, she was still fascinated by it, understanding Hermione's actions when she got engaged. Although, the comparison was drastic, marrying a Weasley and marrying a Malfoy was like contrasting white with black, or more literally red hair with blonde hair. The personalities clashed and so did many of the other factors, yet somehow this couple was compatible.

Since they were done dinner, they headed out for Draco's apartment. Ginny wondered where they were going to end up living once they were married. Would she move in with him? Would they buy another apartment or house for them to live in together? She wouldn't mind either, although giving up her current apartment was going to be tough, it was the first place that she could ever call her own and she was proud of it.

When they got there they headed towards the bedroom, Ginny noticing on the way how immaculate his apartment always is. The house elf... how odd that would be if she had to live with her. Hermione definitely would not like that, plus it would just be weird having a servant like that after living her whole life without one.

She did not ponder long on this, for her fianc's arms were soon wrapped around her, as she sunk into another one of his delirious kisses. She snogged him back, pushing all of her previous thoughts out of her mind. They stopped for a second as he shut the door and she took off her shoes, setting them down besides the bed. 'How have I ever grown to love this room? This man?' she briefly wondered to herself before she began undressing.

The next morning Ginny woke up and blinked her eyes in an attempt to adjust to the bright light coming from outside. The sun was up, shining its heart out, and causing Ginny to want to hide under the covers until night comes again. When she reopened her eyes she saw Draco closing the curtains, and she smiled at the fact it was like he could read her mind. She knew, of course, that he couldn't, but she was still pleased that he saved her from being blinded.

He was wearing a silky black robe, with dark green lining, and as he turned around the black of it flung behind him. He walked over to the bed where Ginny was lying and gave her a quick kiss. Then with two claps his house elf Amphora was in the room, holding a tray. She handed the tray over to Ginny, who thanked her and began to inspect it.

On the pure silver tray was a cup of coffee, a piece of toast, butter, a knife, and a pastry. She felt her stomach grumble, and so she was grateful for this food. Looking up at Draco she said, "Mmm... Breakfast in bed."

He nodded, took a seat beside her, and while she started to eat he talked. "I was thinking that we could go shopping today. I need to pick up a few things myself, and if there is anything you want then I can get it as well."

With the food in her mouth she couldn't very well reply, so she put up her index finger for him to hold on a moment and then continued to chew and swallow the chunk of pastry. She took a small sip of coffee before saying, "You don't have to buy me anything," It wasn't like she didn't have a job and she didn't need to have someone else take care of her, regardless if he is her fiancé or not.

"I know that," he responded, breaking a piece off of her toast and buttering it to Ginny's surprise. "But I want to. Besides you are going to need some new robes for when you come to the Malfoy Manor, so you can look your best."

At hearing this Ginny dropped the rest of the pastry that she was holding and shot him a look. The Malfoy Manor... He was going to introduce her to his parents. That could not be such a good thing, especially knowing how they feel towards Weasley's and that Lucius is a Death eater, but there was one positive from this, it meant that Draco felt she was worth introducing formally to his family. This thought, although warming, was not enough to stop Ginny from being a bit hesitant on going. Actually, a lot hesitant, and who wouldn't be?

"What?" she asked, wanting him to clarify that last bit. Yes, he normally didn't ask her if she wanted to go places and instead told her she was, but this was bigger then the usual events. This was meeting Mr. and Mrs. Death eater. She was still upset about the Ministry letting Lucius out of Azkaban; how could they be so dumb?

He answered her question nonchalantly. "My parents invited me to come over and stay next weekend and I consented. I want to bring you along so that you can finally be properly introduced to them and we can tell them the news."

"Do you think this is such a good idea?" Ginny asked. "Your parents, your father especially, hate my family. I don't think they will take the news of our engagement very well."

"You would be surprised at how well they can take bad news," he replied, thinking about his parents. One of the talents of being a Malfoy was to be able to have a cool composure at all, or at least most, times, although anger was the hardest thing for them to conceal. Then he had to add on, so she wouldn't get the wrong idea. "Bad news to them that is."

"Indeed," she said, trying to imagine how his parents were going to react, but all she could picture was Lucius flipping out. It wasn't going to be too pretty. She figured that if she was with Draco then she was safe, plus she knew how to defend herself.

After finishing breakfast, Ginny and Draco got ready to go out. They each took a shower and got dressed, Ginny forcing Draco to not slick his hair back like he used to do a lot. When they were both ready Draco talked to Amphora, and then Draco and Ginny got into the elevator. Draco took Ginny's hand, and they walked out of the apartment building together.

Their first stop was a store called Madam Hooch's Robes for the Rich. Ginny laughed when she saw the name, thinking that this was definitely a place Draco would shop at. A tall slender woman with auburn hair approached them when they entered the front door. She had a pointed noise and sharp chin, with a gold necklace about her neck. She did not smile at them, but instead looked them over, giving Ginny a look of disapproval before talking directly to Draco.

"Why hello Mr. Malfoy, I have your order ready for you in the back," she stated to him, ignoring Ginny like she wasn't worth acknowledging. She looked at him like she was questioning why he was with Ginny, but then tried Draco with courtesy, him being a customer after all.

"Yes," he replied, knowing that it would be ready for him by then. Then he added, gesturing to the woman beside him, "But I would also like to find something for Ginny here."

"One moment," she said, taking off to the back of the store and leaving Ginny and Draco alone. She came back holding a package, most likely what Draco ordered, and then she handed it to him. He took it, and then looked at her like he was waiting for her to address Ginny.

Eventually she reluctantly addressed her, seeming to have to struggle in order to help her. "What kind of robes are you looking for Miss?"

Ginny changed her glance from the lady back to Draco, not knowing how to answer, and then he answered for her in his usual manner. "Dress robes of course, something formal and elegant. Money is no object."

The woman nodded and led them back to a fitting room. Draco took a seat in one of the chairs and Ginny sat beside him, both waiting for the woman to return. Then she began bringing out racks of robes, giving Ginny a lot to choose from.

Soon Ginny found herself trying on a million different styles and colors of robes. Then she would show Draco and see what his opinion was before going back in and trying something else. Many of the choices were definitely not for her, but she had a pile growing slowly of robes that looked good on her. Finally, they decided on three sets of robes, and Draco added it to his order. After he paid for his purchase, they left the store, Draco carrying the clothing.

"Thanks Draco," Ginny said, thanking him for buying the clothes as they walked together down the bustling afternoon street. "But I doubt that what robes I wear will make your parents think differently of me."

He was about to respond, but then both of them saw something that made them stop mid-conversation. Harry Potter was leaning against the wall outside of some shop, looking like he was waiting for someone. Ginny pulled Draco as she hurried over to her friend. She was excited to see him because she hadn't seen him in a while. "Harry!" she called out as she made her way over to him, Draco beside her.

Harry looked up and gave her a nervous smile. "Hi Ginny... Malfoy," he said, as the two rivals exchanged awkward glances. It was strange that Ginny liked two people who held such a strong hatred for one another, but she was hoping that maybe they would be able to reconcile their differences, if only while they are together.

"So, what are you doing here?" Ginny asked with a happy smile on her face. It was great seeing her friend again. Before he could answer she added, gesturing to the packages that Draco was holding, "We just came from shopping for robes."

"Umm..." Harry hesitated before answering. He looked like he was searching for an answer to give her, but was having some trouble. Then he replied, "I came to do some shopping as well, I just stopped here to take a break."

Draco gave him a look, like he didn't fully believe him, but Ginny just smiled and nodded. She gave him a hug, much to Draco's displeasure, and then proceeded to tell him that they should get together sometime. She suggested going to a Quidditch game and he said that he would owl her about it. Then Ginny and Draco continued on, Ginny secretly wondering why Harry was acting so... strange.

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry it took so long to update. I was going to last night, but my friend who is on vacation right now in Florida called me and I had to talk to her, and then I went to bed because I was really tired. Anyway, **thanks for all of the reviews**!

Pretty please **REVIEW**!

**cookielover-** lol. thanks for the quite creative review!

**Catmint-** I never knew that... Oh and about the 'moose' thing, I actually meant to fix it but forgot. Sorry, but it was late and I was tired. -hides behind her chair- Thanks for pointing that out though, lol, I feel like a complete idiot.

**numbluver-** Thanks!

**PottyforPotter-** Thanks. Yes, he does kind of. I love Pride and Prejudice! Anyway, I wrote that chapter around 11 at night, I was tired and forgot to correct it (I'm such an airhead).

**fieryred20-** Yayness.**Cherdy the Molologist-** Thanks, I was trying to make it creative.

**Dracoluver2009-** Thanks

**Taika-** Nice thinking, but alas I cannot respond to your observations, you will have to find out yourself. Glad you liked my proposal idea, it just came to me while I was writing.

**GoldenFawkes-** Glad you like. What do you mean make the proposal longer? He proposed and she accepted, time to move on... lol.

**MemoriesOfYou-** Yupperz...

**mrsginevramalfoy-** Sure thing.

**urges-** Perhaps.

**valentines-hater- **Glad you like it, I wanted the proposal to be different, you know?

**All-** Gracias.


	5. The Letter

**Chapter 5**

Finally, after much shopping and pondering about Harry's odd behavior, Ginny and Draco went back to his apartment. The couple had stopped at a small cafe for lunch, and it was about four by the time they were able to relax. They were currently in his bedroom, Draco putting his new robes away and Ginny watching him from his bed. She was leaning against a large pillow and thinking quietly to herself before she spoke. "That was strange, don't you think?"

Draco was in his open closet at the moment, still putting things away, and from there she heard a slightly muffled, "What was strange?"

"The way Harry was acting when we bumped into him," Ginny replied, grabbing her purse from the night stand next to the bed in order to get out a piece of non-enchanted gum that her brothers sent her, or at least that was what they said it was. She knew that they wouldn't trick her though, because they knew if they did then would have a Bat Bogey hex coming for them.

"He has always acted odd," Draco replied imperturbably as he moved things around his closet with the flick of his wand.

Ginny looked up from her bag for a second after hearing his reply. She saw how he would think that Harry acted odd, but knowing what she knew he had just cause. She shook her head, and then said while returning to her previous search, "No, not like this."

Draco finished in the closet and closed the door behind him, turning around to look at Ginny. He shrugged and then as he walked over to his desk responded with, "I don't know what it is then, you know him better then I do."

The red head finally found the piece of gum, so she put it in her mouth and began chewing, deciding that thinking about Harry was not getting her any closer to the answer. She glanced at her purse one last time, and then saw something white. She pulled out the envelope and read "Ginny Weasley". She had completely forgotten about Hermione's letter!

Immediately she began to open it, pulling out a piece of parchment. Her eyes quickly scanned the paper, reading as follows:

_Dear Ginny,_

I was so glad to hear from you. Both of us are doing fine. How have you been? I can hardly believe that I have been married a whole year! Sorry to hear about Malfoy though, but I'm sure you two will work things out.

Ron took me to this nice restaurant for our anniversary. They had live entertainment, and he even had a song dedicated to me. About moving, it is inevitable that we will get a house, we just can't seem to agree on the same one! You know your brother, stubborn as anything.

Yes, we are free tomorrow night. You and Malfoy should come over and I'll get Ron to cook us something for dinner. Did I tell you he is taking cooking lessons? It was actually your mother's idea, but he agreed. It works out though because he has more time to cook dinner then I do. If you are able to join us for dinner then come to our apartment around seven. That doesn't mean come at eight thirty. Use that clock I bought you.

I can't wait to see you! I have big news to tell you, I would write it here but it would be better to tell you in person. Till tomorrow,

Hermione  
  
She held the letter, thinking over what it had said. Since when was Ron taking cooking lessons? The sad thing about the note was that the cooking lessons was not the strangest thing in it, Hermione had mentioned something about having "big news". She was guessing that the news was good because of how excited she sounded in the letter. Needless to say, they had to go there for dinner.

Closing the letter back up into the way it was folded, Ginny stated, "We are going to Ron and Hermione's for dinner tonight. It's at seven," Hey, if he could make plans without asking her, then she could do the same with him.

At this remark Draco turned in his seat to look at Ginny, with pieces of his pale blonde hair falling across his forehead. He saw that she had been reading the letter that he gave her yesterday, it did not surprise him that she forgot about it, and it came to the conclusion that dinner was one of the topics mentioned in said letter. Knowing that they were going to end up visiting Ginny's brother and sister-in-law sooner or later he decided not to protest this, even though he knew it would be a bit uneasy between him and Ron, it always was.

So, he simply nodded his head, analyzing Ginny a bit further, before returning his gaze to his desk. Thinking about their upcoming trip to the Malfoy Manor Draco had a few doubts. He had never not gotten his way before, but then again he never came home to tell his parents he decided to marry out of their little "class".

Meanwhile Ginny put the letter back in her purse, thinking that whatever Hermione's news was it would not be able to compete with hers. She couldn't wait to tell her best friend the good news, but at the same time she was nervous about telling her brother. Obviously he couldn't do anything, Hermione wouldn't let him, but she didn't want things to be weird between them. Was it too much to ask for to have a Malfoy accepted into their family?

Getting up from her seat on the bed, Ginny began to walk over to where Draco was sitting. On the way she set her purse back down on the nightstand. Then she took a seat at an empty spot on his desk, propping her feet up on his chair, and playfully said, "Guess who is making dinner."

He looked at her again, his gray eyes searching within her mocha brown ones, and then responded in jest, and at the same time seriousness, "Not Granger I hope," Hermione hadn't transformed into the best cook, no matter how hard she tried. Ginny also had trouble in the kitchen, but neither her nor Draco had to cook because they had his house elf. Hermione and Ron, of course, do not have a house elf and therefore have to either cook themselves or eat out.

Ginny shook her head, her straight ginger red hair flying to both sides. "Ron is," she said, waiting to see his reaction. She found it hilarious that her brother would be cooking, which was something that she could not imagine. Picture a tall redhead, wearing one of those "Kiss me I'm a wizard" aprons and holding a broken wand held together by Spellotape. It was quite a hilarious image.

Draco laughed, thinking that his girlfriend was kidding, but then realized she was serious. Ron was cooking... this could be bad, especially since Ron still held a grudge against him. Technically he could poison him if he wanted to, or do something else to the meal. How could Draco trust any food that he prepares?

That didn't bother him much though, because he decided that Ron was not smart enough or even capable to cause any harm to him. Hermione, on the other hand, could do some damage if she felt like it, she was after all an Auror, but he knew that she wouldn't. There were several reasons for this; one being that she wasn't the type of witch who would hurt her best friend's boyfriend. Another was that she would never harm an innocent person, not that he was innocent or that she thought he was, but she had no current reason to think badly of him, except for past incidents. Besides, she did stick up for him when her husband was freaking out.

So, after considering all of these aspects, Draco replied, "Does he even know how to cook?" Draco surely did not; he never had to because he always had some kind of servant to cook for him. Remembering back to school and how Hermione created SPEW, a campaign to free house elves, he knew that they would not have anyone working for them. He personally couldn't see living like that, but they could do whatever they wanted, it didn't matter to him.

Ginny laughed and then answered, "Apparently he has been taking cooking lessons."

Draco also found that a bit amusing, and Ginny could tell that she was not the only one picturing Ron in some humorous cooking scene. Too bad that she wouldn't be able to watch him actually make the meal, they would probably get there after everything was done.

When the time got closer to seven Ginny decided to get ready, knowing that she was always running late and it was better to be prepared then have Hermione yelling at her for being late. It wasn't Ginny's fault, there was always just something causing her delay. At one point she swore that someone had a curse upon her, because even when she tried to be on time it never happened. This was not all the time, but enough for people to get annoyed with her.

Luckily Draco was the opposite of her, and he rarely found himself late to anything. At times it seemed like he was the complete opposite of her when it came to everything, but there were also many things that they had in common. Those two were a strange combination, like fire and ice, not meant to get along but somehow coexisting peacefully, or at least most of the time.

Not wanting to commute, and because if they did they would be late because Ginny couldn't find where Amphora put her coat, they decided to apparate to her brother's apartment. It was so handy having this type of transportation, and anyone could see how someone would be excited about being able to do it. Take Percy for example, when he first got his license he apparated everywhere.

So, this is how they ended up standing in front of the door leading into the married couple's apartment, and Ginny raised her hand to knock. Almost instantly the door was opened and a hurried Hermione quickly ushered them into the living room, taking their coats and ordering them to sit down on the couch before running back into the kitchen.

Ginny saw that the big yellow couch was no longer there and she wondered how Hermione was able to convince Ron to get rid of it. They took a seat on a brown leather couch, obviously something that Hermione picked out, and Draco put his arm around Ginny. They sat there quietly for a couple minutes, listening to the noise that was emanating from the kitchen. It sounded as if Ron was having some trouble preparing the dish for that evening, and the commotion was mildly entertaining for the people patiently waiting in the other room.

The sound of a swoosh was heard, followed by the clucking of what Ginny guessed was a chicken. She could hear Hermione screech, "Ron, that is not how it is done!" Followed by Ron's whining voice of, "That's how she showed us to do it!"

Soon Hermione emerged from the kitchen, brushing the feathers off her outfit, and then looking up at Ginny and Draco. She quickly regained her composure and said, "Sorry about that, Ron was having a spot of difficulty with the recipe."

"We could tell," Ginny replied in a lighthearted voice. She had been expecting something like this to happen.

"Everything should be fine now," Hermione responded, shooting one last look in the direction of the kitchen before joining them over at the couch. "It's great to see you!" she said jovially, giving Ginny a hug. "We have a lot to talk about."

"You are telling me," Ginny replied. It seemed as though they always did.

* * *

**A/N:** Hi everyone. I feel bad about not updating sooner, but I couldn't find the time. (All work and no play makes me a dull girl... hehehe, The Shining) Tomorrow I am leaving to go to Salem, Mass. with my sister on a little Halloween vacation type thing and I won't be back until Monday, so this story won't be updated until Monday or Tuesday. Do not take this to mean I won't continue with it, this is only a temporary break seeing as I won't have access to a computer.

BUT on the good side this gives ALL of you a chance to **REVIEW**! (So if I don't have a nice amount of reviews waiting for me when I get back then I will be severely disappointed, lol)

**Krystal1989-** Thanks

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**Draco & Ginny Forever-** Thanks

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**cookielover-** No problem, lol. Hope this was soon enough for you, there's hardly any time left for anything anymore.

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**Red-** Hehehe

**lyn-** Alright then...

**Everyone-** Thanks for reading and reviewing! I love you all! (platonically of course)

Once again, **REVIEW**:-)


	6. Dinnertime Discussions

**Chapter 6**

Ron, along with some help from Hermione, got the dinner successfully underway. Not much longer the four of them were sitting around a smooth round wooden table in small space near the kitchen that the married couple used as a dining room. The cook had just sat down after bringing out the meal; Hermione had already brought out the drinks.

The main dish consisted of, guess what, chicken. It was surprisingly better than everyone had expected it to be, especially after that fiasco in the kitchen. For a side dish Ron served steamed vegetables and garlic bread.

As they began eating, it was only normal for a conversation to be brewing. Neither Draco nor Ron talked much, seeing as both felt uncomfortable around the other, plus the women dominated most of the talking. When two best friends haven't talked for a long period of time, or even a short one, it was only natural for them to have a lot to say.

"How is work?" Hermione asked, looking up from her fork to look at Ginny who was sitting across from her.

Ginny swallowed the piece of chicken that she had been chewing on and then replied, "I can sum it up in one word: stressful," Hermione returned a look of slight confusion and so Ginny continued. "Not that I am not satisfied with it, don't get me wrong, this is my dream job, it's just that lately there has been so much pressure for me to write best-seller type articles."

"Oh," Hermione said, nodding her head. "That is understandable, but I believe that you will be able to do it. Last time you thought you couldn't either, remember that, but you ended up writing a very popular and controversial piece."

"Yes, you were right as usual," Ginny sighed, taking a gulp of her butterbeer. It was true, her friend seemed to be right about everything, and those few times that she wasn't she would get upset about it. Curious, and wanting to change the topic, she asked, "So how is your job? Head Auror still treating you well?"

"Things have been a bit strange lately," Hermione answered. She had always loved her job, and it was great knowing that she was the best in the field. "With the renovation the Ministry is going throw and all. Have you read about that?"

"Of course, how could I miss it? There was an article about it in the Daily Prophet the other day. I have been wanting to talk to Dad about it, you know, to see what is going on. Has anyone been fired or taken out of their positions?" She glad that Hermione brought that up because she had wanted to ask Ron about it.

Ron, finally finding a place for himself in the conversation, jumped in. "Percy was. You should have seen his face the day they told him. I ran into him in the hallway on my way to my office and his face was all flustered. He looked like he was about to explode."

"I figured he would be one of them," Ginny responded. She expected as much from her brother, but if only she was there to see it... "Because he works under Fudge and I got the feeling that he was the first person they did that to."

"He was," Ron said. "And he wasn't too happy about it either. Fudge seemed to think that Dumbledore had something to do with it. I heard that he mentioned something about how your article and the evidence were just an attempt of Dumbledore to frame him so that he would loose his position as Minister of Magic."

"My father will not be pleased," Draco stated, with an air of triumph over his father. He was sure that this was going to negatively affect his father; therefore he would do whatever he could to stop it. "I'll bet you that he helps defend Fudge."

"I wouldn't be surprised," Hermione replied honestly. "Lucius Malfoy will do anything to have his way. A renovation is just what we need though, to get rid of people like Malfoy from having all of the control of the wizarding community."

"So, did anyone else we know lose their job?" Ginny asked, not wanting to get into a long discussion over Lucius Malfoy. She was close to many people who work there, and wanted to find out as much as possible.

"No," Ron answered. "But the people who still have their positions are being watched closely, so this kind of thing doesn't happen again."

"I'm thinking about visiting the Ministry tomorrow," Ginny commented after taking another bite of her food. "To pay Dad a visit and meanwhile see how everything is. I guess that I won't be encountering our brother there, although I did want to see his reaction to the news... Do they still allow visitors?"

"You should have seen him," Ron replied laughing. "It was even funnier than when Fred and George would pick on him. The offices are chaotic lately with all of the new changes, but I'm sure they will let you in."

"I bet he was," Ginny replied. "But I'll probably go tomorrow around lunchtime and see how things are. I've been thinking about writing something on the subject, although I'm not sure which angle I'll take with it."

"You should write it in a positive light," Hermione suggested. "Because you know Fudge's power over the newspapers, therefore all or at least most of them are writing about it like it is a bad thing. It is surprising how many people don't realize that there was corruption in the original Ministry and that was why it needed change."

"That is because most people only admit to what they want to be true," Draco stated. "Instead of what really is true."

"And some people," Ron replied, directed at Draco. "Exploit their power and force people to submit to their will."

Hermione shot Ron a look of disapproval and then attempted to change the subject in order to lighten the mood of the table. With a short sigh and a warming smile she asked, "So, what was it that you wanted to tell me Ginny?"

"Oh right," Ginny said. She had gotten so involved with the Ministry discussion that she had completely forgotten about her big news. She wondered how neither Ron nor Hermione noticed her ring yet, but then again both had been preoccupied with the whole cooking nonsense to even think about looking at her hand. "We have something to tell you two."

Draco grinned, but was still not prepared to see Ron's response to their announcement. He was most likely going to react the same way he did when he first found out that they were together, but on the other hand he had told Draco to not hurt Ginny, so how was marrying her a bad thing? Oh right, because then there would be a Malfoy in their family.

The married couple surveyed the couple sitting across from them and then Hermione asked, "Well, what is it?" She had suspected what it would be, thinking of only positive thoughts. The most probable thing was that either they were moving in together or they were getting married. The second idea seemed a bit fast, but you never know.

A laugh smile crept over Ginny's face, and instead of answering she stuck out her hand, giving everyone a good look at the large diamond on her finger. The lighting in the room flickered off it, exaggerating the size of it.

At this, Ron's face dropped and Hermione's face lit up. She studied the ring before looking up at the engaged couple. Ignoring her husband's reaction, she congratulated them. "This is wonderful! The ring is beautiful. Did you two pick a date yet?"

"No," Ginny answered, slightly shaking her head. "We haven't even talked about that yet. Besides, he just proposed yesterday at dinner. It was perfect."

Draco, at hearing how Ginny described his proposal, was feeling quite pleased with himself. He liked being good at what he does, and this was like a pat on the back. He watched Ron's expression with a grin on his face, finally glad that he was there to see his response.

"Really? How did he propose?" Hermione inquired, still not noticing Ron's look. She was too focused on her best friend's good news to care.

"Well," Ginny began, getting into story mode. This was going to be a good story to tell, well, everyone. "First he took me to the restaurant that we had our first date at. The dinner was great, and then a telescope appeared at the side of the room. He set it up and told me to look at it, so I walked over and looked up at the fake night sky that the room had."

"Then what?" Hermione asked when Ginny took a break to take a sip of her butterbeer. She was secretly jealous that her friend's proposal was so much more romantic than hers.

"Then the stars began to move and they formed 'Will you marry me'. At first I didn't know what to think and the next thing I know Draco is in front of me holding out this huge diamond ring. As you can tell I said yes," she finished, feeling exuberant.

"Wow," Hermione responded. She suspected Draco would propose, but not like that. This just shows that somewhere in that man he cared about Ginny, and although his family had a horrible reputation with the trio, he just might be the right man for her friend. "I knew this would be coming soon. I am happy for you two."

It was then that people finally began to acknowledge Ron. Ginny waved her hand in front of his face and he didn't even blink. "Ronald Weasley, stop that," she sternly said to him, mocking their mother when she scolded her children.

"Why?" he asked, sounding like he had been stupefied. He had a blank stare about him, not sure what to say. His only sister was marrying a Malfoy... What was this world coming to?

"Because we love each other," Ginny replied, not quite understanding what exactly he was referring to. It was perfectly understandable that Ron would have a bit of difficulty dealing with this news; after all he still did not trust Draco.

Hermione whispered something into her husband's ear, he shook his head 'no', she said more to him, and then when she stopped whispering everyone just sat quietly for a couple minutes before she nudged Ron with her arm. He looked up at her and she nodded her head in the direction of Ginny. Reluctantly he said, "I am happy for you two too."

Ginny knew that Hermione forced him to say that, but despite that fact she still smiled and responded in the sweetest voice she could muster, "Thank you Ron."

* * *

**A/N:** I am so sorry that this update took so long, everything has been chaos. Next update should be next week sometime, definitely not as long as it took for this one. Thanks to all of you who are still reading this, and reviewing.

**PLEASE REVIEW!** (Thanks)

**cookielover-** lol... thanks

**Catmint-** Sorry about that, I never notice it when I'm writing, then again I'm always in a hurry and I never said I was a good writer... Anywho, I'll try to work on that.

**urges-** :-D You are so sure of yourself, aren't you?

**reagan-felton-** Hehehehe... All of you seem to be thinking the same thing...

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**MemoriesOfYou-** Yup

**Everyone-** Sorry to those that I missed, but to all of you a million thanks!


	7. WHAT?

**Chapter 7**

Ginny, in an attempt at lightening the spirits and changing the topic for her brother's sake, turned to Hermione with a cheery smile and said, "So, didn't you say that you had to tell me something important?"

"Oh, yes," Hermione replied, in her same exultant manner. "It is about something that I am extremely excited about and I thought that you might be interested in knowing. If not, then I'm just going to tell you anyway."

Ginny nodded, and began to formulate ideas in her mind of what Hermione's news was going to be. It was definitely good news because Hermione even said that she was "extremely excited" about it, but what could it be? They found a house? No, the letter written yesterday said they didn't agree on one yet, and Ginny doubted that they would have found one so fast. Hmm...

Somehow along this train of thought Ginny was hit with what seemed like the most likely event that would put Hermione in such a state: she had to be pregnant! With this though fresh in her mind, Ginny's head shot up and her eyes darted from Hermione's face to her stomach, or at least in the direction of her stomach, and then to Ron. She was going to be an aunt! She smiled and before Hermione could even say anything she stated, "This is wonderful! Have you thought of a name yet?"

Hermione looked confused. "A name for what?" she asked. She had no clue of what her friend was referring to, or why she was so happy all of a sudden. She hadn't even gotten a chance to tell Ginny her news yet, so why was she acting like that? There was definitely a lack of communication at this table, and it didn't help that people do not clarify what they talking about.

"What do you mean?" Ginny asked, realizing that Hermione was lost. If she was pregnant, which was the only valid reason that Ginny could think of as the news her friend has been waiting to share, then wouldn't thinking of a name for her baby be something she would have been doing already? And she thought that Hermione was smart... "A name for your baby, of course!"

At the sound of 'baby' Ron's jaw dropped again, similar to when he heard that Ginny was engaged to his former bully. If Hermione were pregnant then wouldn't she have told him already? "WHAT?" he exclaimed, halfway jumping out of his chair. His head sharply turned to face Hermione with a dumbstruck expression.

Meanwhile Draco unsuccessfully stifled a laugh, finding an abundance of amusement in Ron's reaction to the word 'baby'. On the other hand, of course, if Draco heard that Ginny was pregnant he would probably react in the same way.

"I'm not having a baby," Hermione reassured them, laughing at her friend's faux pas and her husband's horror. She understood why Ginny would think that by the way she talked about her news, but as of that moment Hermione knew that she was not pregnant. "Not yet anyway."

Ron sat back down, slowly recovering from the sudden shock and feeling slightly relieved. Who was he kidding? He was a lot more then just slightly relieved; he was not ready to be a father, and besides, a man like him needs time to slowly adjust, you just can't throw more than one surprise at him in one night, that's enough to make his head explode.

"If you aren't pregnant," Ginny began, becoming confused and giving up on trying to figure it out herself. She was caught off guard when Hermione admitted that she wasn't pregnant, and was waiting for the real news. "Then what is your exciting news about?"

"Well, several days ago I received a letter from Professor Dumbledore," Hermione began, her enthusiasm clearly visible due to the unusual radiance of her skin. "And guess what it was about? He offered me a temporary position at Hogwarts teaching a specialized Defense Against the Dark Arts class. He said that since I am Head Auror now, and Head Girl when I was in Hogwarts, that I would be perfect for the job. It is only for a few months, so when I return to the Ministry things should be about dying down."

"Don't they already have a fulltime Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" Ginny asked, intrigued by Hermione's news. This was the type of thing that Hermione would get excited about. Who better to teach a class then the know-it-all herself?

"Of course they do," her friend replied in an isn't-that-obvious manner. "This time Dumbledore actually found a teacher who lasted past his first year, but I'm not going there to take over his job if that if what you were thinking."

Draco yawned, bored of the conversation already, and Ron seemed to be feeling the same way. As both of the men were displaced during this discussion, they finally found something that they were in agreement on: neither of them felt the desire to sit there quietly and listen to their partners talk about Hermione's new job offer, which Ron already knew enough about.

Draco caught Ron not paying attention, and then they exchanged scornful glances, before returning their "attention" back to their girlfriends, or in Ron's case wife. The women ignored both of them, too distracted to care.

"No, I didn't think that," Ginny responded. "But I don't quite understand what you are going to be doing exactly."

"Dumbledore asked me to head a special class pertaining to defense," Hermione began to explain, not noticing the facial fight between the redhead and the blond. "It's special as in it was created for the top seventh year students who may be on their way to become Aurors after they graduate, but I will also be teaching other years as well."

"Interesting, sounds like a good job for you," Ginny commented, thinking about what Hermione had just shared with her. "But why do you think he asked you to head that program now, when the Ministry is going through a major renovation?"

"Actually, I think that is the reason," Hermione answered quickly. "Or at least part of it. Think about it, if the Ministry is busy with a renovation and Fudge is 'temporarily' out of his position as the Minister of Magic, then Dumbledore will be free to do as he wishes without having to deal with the idiotic people at the Ministry."

"That does make a lot of sense," Ginny said, thinking everything over in her mind. "But I still don't see why he wanted to create that particular program. He could have just wanted something like it for a while, but Dumbledore always does things with a specific reason."

"Maybe he is prophesizing another return of he-who-should-not-be-named, or something around those lines," Hermione suggested thoughtfully. "So that when it happens we will have plenty trained wizards and witches ready to protect the wizarding community. It is a possibility, but I wouldn't be too worried, whatever his reason I'm sure everything will be ok. Things worked out for us, didn't they?"

"Yes, I know," Ginny replied. "It's funny how things just work themselves out."

"Anyway," Hermione said, inwardly agreeing with her friend's statement while turning the direction of the conversation purposely. "I haven't even told you half of it. Guess who else Dumbledore asked to share the teaching and classes with me?"

Without trying to guess, Ginny simply raised her eyebrow and waited for her friend to answer like she always did.

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed happily. "Who could be more perfect to teach anyone advanced lessons on Defense Against the Dark Arts? He alone could teach the whole program, but it will be fun to be working with him because I hardly ever see him these days."

At hearing Harry's name Draco grunted and muttered, "It figures, he was always Dumbledore's favorite," From what Draco had seen during his time at Hogwarts, Dumbledore treated 'Scarhead' with more than a healthy share of favoritism, and he resented him for that along with how Dumbledore treated him and his father.

The only person at the table that heard him was Ron, who in turn shot him a glare that wasn't particularly menacing, probably due to the fact that he had some sauce on his face and collectively it was more of an amusing scene then a threatening one. Hermione, on the other hand, could send threatening glares whenever she felt like it, and she never had sauce on her face when she did make one.

Meanwhile Ginny replied, "Neither do I. It was strange though, the other day Draco and I ran into him when we were shopping. It was the first time I had seen him in a while, so I was excited, and walked over to talk to him. He was acting funny, not like his usual self."

"I wonder what is going on with him," Hermione pondered out loud. "Maybe I can pry something out of him when we begin working together. Oh, and Dumbledore said that you and Ron can visit sometime. It will be odd, all of us back at Hogwarts again."

Ginny laughed. "You are telling me. I know that Filch won't like that, he was glad to get rid of the last of the Weasley's- that is until your future children start going," Then she sarcastically added, "And Professor Snape... That greasy twit must miss us too."

"I should suppose so," Hermione replied.

The conversation slowly died downed after they were tired of discussing Hermione's upcoming position at Hogwarts and everyone was finished eating, so Ron and Hermione began to clean off the dining room table while Ginny and Draco moved out into the living room.

"Are you going to go visit Hogwarts?" Draco asked curiously as he picked up both of their coats from a chair at the side of the room.

"Probably," Ginny answered honestly as Draco handed Ginny her coat. "Why? Do you want to come along?"

"Oh no," Draco replied. "Seven years at that institution was quite enough for me. I didn't even want to go to that school to begin with."

Ginny nodded, and at that moment Ron and Hermione emerged from their kitchen. Ginny and Hermione exchanged hugs, promising to keep in touch and set a date for Ginny's visit to Hogwarts while Hermione is teaching there. Then Ginny hugged Ron, and after they stopped both women looked at their significant others, expecting something.

Ron and Draco eventually caught on, and reluctantly moved a bit closer to shake hands. Afterwards Draco and Ginny left, and the minute they made it to the hallway Draco began to brush off the hand that he used to shake hands with Ron. Ginny hit him gently and he gave her a look, and something told her that on the other side of that apartment door Hermione and Ron were going through the same thing.

They decided to go back to Ginny's apartment, because she had to check her mail and feed her owl, so that was where the couple was headed. When they reached her apartment Draco took a seat on her couch while Ginny feed her owl. As she turned around she noticed an envelope sitting on her table...

* * *

**A/N: **I'm so so sorry that this took so long, but the good thing is that I got this done before any more time pasted. THANKS FOR ALL OF THE REVIEWS! I really appreciate it. I don't have time to reply to each one because I want to get this up as soon as possible, so to all who reviewed: BIG THANKS!

And PLEASE REVIEW!


	8. A Penny for Your Thoughts

**Chapter 8**

Filled with mild curiosity, Ginny picked up the envelope on her way to the couch and sat down with it in her hand. She nestled into her spot, slightly leaning on Draco, and his arm draped around her back, resting his hand on her shoulder. After giving him a small smile, she returned her attention to the envelope she was holding.

She tore it open in one quick swoop, and carefully slid out the letter from within. Then Ginny unfolded the parchment, telling by one cursory glance that the letter was from her mother. Remembering that she wrote her parents a short note several days ago, she began to read the letter before her, which read as follows:

_Dear Ginevra,_

_How are you dear? It was about time that you wrote us. Your father and I are doing wonderfully. You should visit us more often you know. The last time I saw you was at Ronald's wedding. The house had been unusually quiet lately. Oh, and how is that boy, Draco, is it? Are you two still together? He seems like a nice boy, but it's hard to tell when you never bring him around here._

_I'm sure you know more about how Ronald is than I do, but I can tell you all about your other brothers. Percy has been unfairly taken out of his position in Fudge's council. I'm afraid that he might have to start looking for another job soon. The last I heard from Fred and George they were still inventing those silly little products of theirs. I hear their shop is going well and that they ran that other joke shop in Hogsmeade out of business._

_Bill is still working at Gringotts, and things seem to be going well for him. I do wonder why the bank doesn't care about his fang earring though... He brought Fleur to dinner with us last week. I wouldn't be surprised if those two end up engaged soon. I haven't heard much from Charlie recently, but I'm sure he is doing fine._

_From what I can tell you have probably seen the newspapers concerning the Ministry reorganization, so I will tell you what I know. Your father still has his job, luckily, and from what he knows he will be retaining it. It seems that most of the concern lied with Fudge and the immediate positions under his, along with certain people he chose to work in his staff. Arthur's division has not been hit as hard with all of these investigations and charges, but from what he tells me there is more paperwork for him to fill out. Other than that you should talk to your father directly if you want specifics, or maybe even see for yourself._

_I will expect to hear from you soon and hopefully about when you will visit us._

_Love,_

_Mum _

Ginny questioned why it was her mother who responded, but was intrigued none the less. She was not surprised by her mother's nagging about visiting them, in their defense it has been a while since she last took a trip to her old house. She would have to make time for that later though, because now she had a lot of other trips to make first.

She was glad to hear that all of her brothers were doing well, all except for Percy of course who was probably going to take this whole thing to the grave. She figured that Fred and George were doing as well as they told her last time she saw them, but she never thought that they would run Zonko's out of business; that store was a favorite among her fellow Hogwarts students at one time. Then again, most of the Hogwarts students these days would rather go to the joke shop run by a pair of redheaded twins who left one hell of a legacy back in their old school.

Bill and Charlie always seem to be doing well. Ginny knew that by mentioning how Bill and Fleur visited she was hinting at how she should go visit them too. Fleur and him were still dating, but Ginny found it strange how she was engaged to Draco already and Bill had yet to propose to Fleur. She had always thought that Fleur would be the next one to be married; boy was she wrong. And Charlie, he was behind too; he had to go find himself a wife before Percy did because that would be just plain out embarrassing. It was funny how the two youngest siblings were the first to be engaged.

Her mother didn't really tell Ginny anything that she hadn't already known concerning the renovation. She would just go anyway, in order to write an article about it. Other than the disappointment of no new interesting knowledge, she was glad to find out that her father was not going to be fired. In her eyes he was apparently the best choice for the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office.

Deep in thought, Ginny looked up from her letter to meet the silver nebula of Draco's eyes. She shoved the letter back into the torn envelope and set it on the small table next to her couch. She made up her mind and was going to go to the Ministry the following day.

"Anything interesting?" Draco asked referring to the letter, his eyes watching her. They no longer seemed as cold as she had always thought them to be, but instead more mysterious, as if he were a puzzle waiting to be solved.

She leaned back onto her boyfriend with a short sigh and replied, "Not really. Mum wants us to visit them sometime soon though, and my brothers seem to be doing well. Oh, and my father isn't loosing his job."

"She will have to wait in line," Draco began, not entirely sure if he was ready to be a regular visitor of the Weasley household. "Don't forget that this weekend you and I are going to visit my parents. My mother has been looking forward to it."

"Oh right," Ginny said, remembering their previous conversation about that subject. She was not in any way prepared for the weekend ahead of them. She was nervous about the impending trip, and there was nothing that anyone could say to console her. "Wouldn't want to waste the money you spent on those new robes."

"Ginny," Draco started, looking down at his girlfriend whose head was resting on his chest. He understood Ginny's position, but he didn't want to hide her forever. "You are going to have to come to terms with my parents sooner or later. Better make it sooner then."

"I know," Ginny replied. It was true, eventually she would have to face the two Malfoys who she despised, so why put it off any longer? "It's just that I'm scared of how they will react. What if they won't let you marry me?"

He laughed and then said, "No one in the world could stop me from marrying you. We have come this far, haven't we? Even if they do not agree there is nothing they can do about it. I am a grown man and I can marry whatever quirky redheads I want to. Besides, when was the last time I did what my father told me to do?"

She smiled at his sweet reply, but then elbowed him for that last remark. It didn't bother her that he called her quirky, she was just playing around. "So I'm a quirky redhead now, am I? How many other 'quirky redheads' do you know?"

"I meant it in a good way," Draco answered honestly with the same sly grin as always. He knew that she was joking, and he always played along with her. "A couple, but none as quirky as you," After finished that he gave her a quick kiss and then pulled her up off of the couch. Taking her in his arms, which he was now strong enough to do, he carried her into her bedroom and plopped her onto her bed.

Ginny laughed and then watched as Draco closed the door behind him and began to take his shirt off. She would have never guessed that a man like him would have such a playful side to him, but apparently he did. If it wasn't for his family name then she would have to say that he was perfect, or as perfect a man that any decent woman could find.

The next morning Ginny woke up because of the movements of the bed that she was lying on. She turned onto her left side, slowly blinking her eyes until they got adjusted to the light coming in from the large window on her right. Draco had been getting out of bed and was currently dressing. He noticed that she was awake not long later.

"I was trying to not wake you," he stated apologetically as he threw on his robes and began to tie his shoes.

"It's ok," Ginny replied with a stretch of her arms as she sat up in bed and watched him finish getting ready. Normally she would not want to be disturbed when sleeping, but this particular morning she was feeling unusually cheery. "I don't mind. I had to wake up anyway."

Soon Draco was done and ready to leave. He gave Ginny a short kiss before turning around and heading out of her bedroom. Before he was able to open the door she asked, "By the way, what do you actually do for a living?"

He looked back at her, wondering why she was asking at that particular moment of all the times that she could have brought it up, and replied, "I told you already, I work for my father. He wants me to follow in his footsteps, but that is not happening."

She nodded and then he said, "I'll see you later tonight." Then he headed off to do whatever it was that he had planned for that day, and meanwhile leaving Ginny alone to take a shower and get dressed, which she did soon after he was gone.

She brought with her a pad of paper and a pen to jot down notes during her visit, plus you never know if you are going to hear or see anything interesting. When she was completely ready, she picked up her worn wooden wand and practiced a handy spell that was valued among most of the witches and wizards, apparation.

Ginny blinked her eyes and found herself standing in a familiar part of London. She turned the corner to wind up on the dingy street that she was looking for, and headed towards the broken-down red telephone box. On the way she passed several offices, in which she wondered whom in their right minds would visit them, and also a pub, not to mention the wall covered with graffiti. Nothing that extraordinary, but she wasn't there for the scenery.

If Ginny wasn't a witch then she would have felt very much out of place on that seedy street, but she was and she had a set destination. She entered the telephone box, which looked even more worn out then it did the last time she was there, and closed the little door behind her. Then she began to dial the number required in order to gain entrance to the Ministry, 62442.

Soon she heard a voice, which asked her what her purpose of visiting the Ministry was. She stated that she was there to see her father and soon a little silver badge popped out. Ginny looked at it briefly; the only information it had was her name and reason for visiting. She put on the badge and then waited for the telephone box to drop down.

When it eventually did, Ginny stepped out into the Atrium. She looked around for a couple minutes, getting the feel of the place again. The Atrium was lavish, with two long walls of gilded fireplaces, a floor of polished dark wood, and a ceiling of peacock blue with gold symbols moving across it; plus the Fountain of Magical Brethren. Then she began to walk towards the gates at the end of the large room.

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews, this time I actually replied to all of them because I felt bad about last time. I didn't expect to get this chapter out so soon, but I wanted to make up for the length it took me to write the last two.

**PLEASE REVIEW**! (Thanks, there wasn't that many reviews this time- Plus I'll try to find more time for this if I get some encouraging reviews)

**eX Driver Liz-** Yes, the envelope, you know all about that now.. Thanks ;-)

**numbluver-** Thanks, glad you liked the chapter!

**fieryred20-** Same as above, and Harry's behavior will be clear later on.

**urges-** Lol, actually yes I was inspired by all of the reviews that stated they thought Hermione was pregnant, but you now know about what the envelope was about... No pregnancies for now... :-) I don't think I saw that commercial, but these kids in my class are always saying that. -Shrugs-

**Krystal1989-** Why of course, glad you like!

**PottyforPotter-** I try to make my story different from others, and to make it less predictable, thanks for the compliment. It was fun to write too, I could just see Ron and Draco acting like that.

**Draco & Ginny Forever-** Thanks

**Everyone-** Thanks for reading and reviewing!


	9. The Ministry

**Chapter 9**

The hustle and bustle of the Atrium surrounded Ginny. She knew that the new changes would cause some ruckus there, but she didn't think that the Ministry would want many visitors wandering around. She walked with a purpose up to the security stand where Eric Munch was standing. After registering her wand, Ginny made her way to the smaller hallway beyond the golden gates.

A series of lifts lined the wall, and Ginny made her way over to one. She piled into the closest lift along with five other people and waited for it to stop at level two. As she was standing there, she thought about how so much could change after one incident. Her one news-breaking article caused a domino effect, and now the entire Ministry of Magic, or at least most of it, was being made over. It wasn't all because of her though; Draco was the one who slipped her the information. Hopefully this renovation will stop people like Lucius Malfoy from having any power in the Ministry.

That was what Ginny was thinking when she felt a small tap on her right shoulder. She turned to see who it was, or what it was, and she found herself face to face with an old schoolmate. Somehow she could not escape her fellow classmates, they were scattered throughout Britain.

"Colin?" Ginny asked, making sure it was indeed him. She hadn't seen him since the train ride home on their last year of Hogwarts. He looked about the same, still slightly short with brown hair, and he had what looked like a brand new camera hanging around his neck. Yes, this had to be the same old Colin Creevey that followed Harry around and took pictures of everything.

"Ginny," he replied cheerily in his usual excitable manner. "I thought it was you. How have you been doing?"

"Good, good. How about you? It's been quite some time since I last saw you! What are you up to?" She wondered what his business was at the Ministry, and his badge wasn't very specific. Ginny longed to catch up with her friend, so she inadvertently ended up sounding like the exact type of girls that she hates without even noticing.

"I came up here to take some pictures," he answered, gesturing to his shiny camera with a large smile. "I used to work for a newspaper as a photographer, but now I'm looking for a new job. These pictures might help me."

Ginny nodded politely, and then after a small snap in her brain she immediately responded, "I work at _Warts_, I'm one of their writers, I could talk to my boss and see if I can get you a position there. That is, if you are interested."

"You would do that for me?" he asked eagerly and she nodded. "Thank you so much!"

"I can't promise you anything, but I'll try. If he agrees to give you an interview then the front desk will send you an owl. It would be interesting if we worked together, me writing the article and you taking the pictures."

"So, what are you visiting the Ministry for?" he asked her, not bothering to glance at her silver badge first.

"To visit my father, and maybe my brother, and to see how everything is going. I may be writing an article on this whole change," She whispered the last part to him, so that the other people in the lift would not be able to hear. If there was one thing she learned from Harry, it was that you could never be too careful.

"Oh," he said with a small nod, and then looked back up at her. "When did you and Harry break up, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I don't mind," she answered honestly, surprised that he would ask such a question. How did he find out that they broke up? She hadn't even seen Colin since school, but she wasn't sure if Harry had or not. "We broke up a little over a year ago. Why do you ask?"

"It's just that I saw him last week with another girl from our old school. Do you want to see the picture I took?" he asked her. She said yes and so he pulled a stack of photographs out from his coat pocket. He began flipping through them, until he stopped at one and handed it to her.

Ginny was prepared for Harry to have another girlfriend. Why would it bother her? She was going to brake up with him anyway, and now she was with Draco. Besides, she couldn't just expect Harry to go on living single forever, even though it had only been a year. For all of these reasons she thought that she was ready, all she wanted to know was who the lucky girl was.

That was until she saw the picture. It was at that moment that Ginny quickly learned that she had not been properly prepared for it. Actually no amount of preparation could ever prepare her for what she saw. At first she didn't believe it, maybe she was seeing things, but on a closer inspection she realized that it was the worst.

"What?" Ginny blurted out unintentionally.

"What's so shocking? Didn't Harry have a crush on her before?" Colin asked her, not understanding what Ginny was freaking out about.

Ginny looked up at Colin, gave him an uneasy smile, and answered, "Oh nothing, don't mind me," Then she realized that the other people in the lift were looking at her too, so she turned to them and said politely, "Hi, how are you?"

The lift came to a stop and three of the people got out as two more entered. Ginny ignored the newcomers and stared at the picture. It showed Harry with the last person that Ginny would ever want to see again, Cho Chang. How silly Ginny was to think that her enemy was out of her life forever! She was quite lucky to have gone a year without running into her, now that she thought about it.

But how could Harry date her? That woman was pure evil, didn't he know that? Well, she would have to talk to him about it, but for the moment she was angry and confused. Harry was supposed to be over that demon spawn; what was this world coming to?

After staring at the picture for quite some time, Ginny couldn't look at it anymore. She handed it back to Colin, who put it back where he had taken it out from, and returned her attention to the lift. They were at level three currently; she would be getting off at the next floor.

"Are you getting off at level two?" Ginny asked Colin.

He shook his brown head yes, and when the elevator came to a complete stop they filed out together. When they got out of the way of the lift rush, they said their goodbyes.

"I'm going that way," Ginny pointed in the direction behind her towards where the office she was headed to was located. "So I'll talk to my boss for you. If you get the job then I'll be seeing you soon. Take care of yourself."

"You too. Thanks again for that."

It was not until she was alone that Ginny paid any attention to her surroundings. The floor was in a complete state of pandemonium and disarray. Calling this office chaotic would be an understatement, that was how bad it actually was. People were running this way and that, piles of papers lined each desk, and things seemed to get lost in the shuffle. Everyone looked busy, and she wondered if she had ever seen the place so occupied.

Ginny found her way easily, despite the commotion around her. Following the same shabby corridor that she had been in several times before, she made her way to the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office. She knocked on the door before opening it, and she saw that her father was currently the only person occupying the office. Then she slid into the cramped office that contained many filing cabinets, and not much free space.

"Who is it?" Arthur Weasley asked before looking up from his desk. Then before she could answer, he instinctively glanced up and noticed his only daughter standing before him. "Ginny! I heard that you were going to visit. How are you?"

"I'm fine," she replied with a smile and walked over to give her father a hug. "But it looks like you are swamped."

It did. His desk had two stacks of papers sitting on it, and it looked like he had been filling out some type of form when she came in. After her hug he sat back down and gestured for Ginny to sit on one of the chairs nearby.

"Yes," he responded. "I suppose you received the letter from your mother? I'm sure she explained the conditions I'm under."

"Yes I did. She said that you had a lot of paperwork, but I didn't think that there would be this much," she said, gesturing to the stacks. "If you have this much, I wonder how many papers other people have."

"A lot," he said simply as he began to return to his paperwork while talking to his daughter. "I love getting a visit from you, I hardly see you any more, but did you have a specific reason why you wanted to visit me at the office?"

"Well, I was wondering if there was anything more that you could tell me about the renovation that I don't know already?" Ginny asked him, full of interest.

"Actually," Arthur looked up at his daughter with a serious but loving expression. "It's rumor around here that Fudge is being charged with fraud. No one knows for sure, but that is what everyone thinks. If you ask me, I think it's true. Otherwise why would they be carefully inspecting everyone who worked closely under him?"

"Really," she replied, thinking. "That's interesting. So they think that Fudge was behind the cover-up?"

"Him and some of the other officials. At least that is what every around here thinks. Have you spoken to Percy?"

"No," she answered, wondering why he would ask her that. Obviously he hadn't, as far as she knew Percy only talked to their mother.

"You should think about talking to him then. He should know more than I do about the situation, he did work on Fudge's staff and the renovation hit him a lot harder than it did me. You did hear that he was taken out of his position, right?" her father explained.

Ginny shook her redhead yes and understood. Maybe she would talk to Percy, but the question was if would he talk to her. She finished things up with her father and then let him get back to work. Ready and eager to start her next article, she headed straight home to take some notes before developing a plan.

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**A/N:** Thanks so so so much for the reviews! Sorry this took as long as it did, but here it is now. I don't have time to reply to all of you lovely reviews because I want to get this up as fast as possible, so to all of you **A MILLION THANKS**!

Also, don't forget to **_REVIEW_**! (Thanks)


	10. Between Business and Pleasure

**Chapter 10**

Back at her apartment, Ginny had made herself a fresh pot of coffee and settled down at her desk with a cup of java in one hand and a quill in the other. She had a nice stack of paper in front of her, and was ready to begin her rough draft of the article. Some notes scribbled on a piece of parchment were the only material she currently had to work with, but she was able to start it nonetheless.

The expose began with setting the scene of the office that she had not long arrived from. She described in detail the hustle and bustle that she personally witnessed while on her way to see her father. No matter what words she chose to illustrate the way the Ministry of Magic really was during her visit, she felt that nothing truly gave the actual state of chaos justice. After playing around with her vocabulary for a bit, she was finally content with how she portrayed the Ministry.

Next she had to make her view on the situation known, leaning the readers in the direction of thinking that this new change is either good for the magical public or bad. Of course Ginny thought that the renovation was positive, without these alterations then there would still be corrupt people with power and that was not good for anyone.

Although she had only a couple paragraphs written, she was already happy with how the piece was turning out. She had yet to get into the more classified information, and she still had to decide whether or not she was going to pay her least favorite brother a visit. Well, he wasn't really her least favorite, but he definitely wasn't at the top of her list currently and she knew that she wasn't at the top of his either. Would he even talk to her? The redhead was not sure, but if she wanted to then she could give it a try. The worst that could happen is that he refuses to talk to her and slams the door in her face. Actually, the worst that could happen is he sends something out to attack her, but she seriously doubted that he would do such a thing.

On the other hand, if he did talk to her then she could try to weasel some sweet tidbits of information out of him. He was one of her brothers after all, and after dealing with them her whole life she knew how to handle them.

Either way she would get her article, come hell or high water. She was determined, and when Ginny set her mind to something she made it a point to get it done. So, she wrote a little more, expanding on what she already had found out. She was not sure whether or not to address Fudge in the article, it could be politically dangerous for the newspaper, but at the same time once word gets out then everyone will be writing about it.

She wouldn't avoid the soon to be fired Minister of Magic altogether, but she decided not to reveal too much. Just enough information to get the public interested in the current situation, and hopefully on her side of the issue, would be all she needed to use. Yes, that would work...

Then a noise interrupted her thoughts. There was a jiggling at the doorknob of the door to her apartment. She jumped out of her seat, startled, and knocked over her mug. Luckily the cup was empty and so nothing spilled onto her papers. With a sigh of relief she set the coffee cup upright and then hurried over to the front door.

Ginny looked at the door and saw that the knob was moving, like someone was trying to break into her apartment. She grabbed her wand, realized that she could potentially get in trouble if she used magic on a Muggle, and so stuck the wand in her back pocket and picked up the closest object to her that was able to be used as a weapon. That happened to be a dictionary, which could hurt if slammed onto some unsuspecting person's head.

She stood at the side of the door and waited for it to open. Her plan was to quickly hit the person over the head with the book, and then ask questions. It seemed like a good idea at the time, risking neither her safety nor the secrecy of the fact that she knew magic.

Finally the door opened inward and Ginny raised the heavy book with her arms. In less then a second she saw blonde hair and in the confusion the dictionary slammed down onto the floor, causing a loud bang.

"What kind of greeting is this for your fiancée?" she was asked, and she looked up to see Draco looking at her with the expression of curiosity upon his face.

"Oh, it's only you," she replied, almost to herself because she hadn't answered his question. She had forgotten that she gave Draco a copy of her key so that he could come over and let himself in when he wanted to see her. "You interrupted me; I was actually getting some work done."

"Who did you think it was?" he asked her, about to smile at the fact that he had scared her. He didn't think that he would frighten her by using the key because she only gave a key to him. Actually, he knew that she once gave Potter a key when they were still together, but did he still have it? Either way Draco was anticipating the moment when Ginny would get rid of that apartment.

"How was your day?" she asked, turning around and heading back over to her desk. Ginny sat back down again and stared at what she had previously written. She was glad to see Draco, but he had disrupted her thoughts and she wanted to write her ideas done before she forgot them.

"Dull," he answered, moving over to where she was sitting. "But getting better now that I'm here. What about yours? Do anything interesting today?"

"I finally took my visit to the Ministry and saw my father," she replied. "The whole place is swamped with paperwork."

"That is not surprising," he said, getting closer to her. Ginny sat upright in her chair, adding a couple items to her notes when he got right up behind her. Draco brushed her long red hair to one side, leaving the other side of her neck naked. Then he leaned down and slowly began kissing her down the side of her pale freckled neck.

Ginny could not concentrate with this kind of distraction going on, so she set down her quill and the papers and turned around to face her love. Where did he learn to be so charming? So romantic? It couldn't have been from his father, a man who was known to be cold and harsh. She could not find an answer to these questions, and she wasn't sure if she truly wanted to know. She didn't want to spoil what they had by questioning everything about him. If there was one thing she learned, it is that the truth is not always pretty.

So instead of continuing to analyze things in her mind, she decided to let her guard down and melt into the kisses that he was ready to give. It was surprising how much Draco had a hold over her. All he had to do was put on his charm and she would be his, but it was only recently that she realized she even held some power over him. He acted as though he needed no one, but she could tell that he in a way he did need her, because in some odd way he actually fell in love.

It was not long before they found themselves in bed. Both had stripped off their clothing and Draco was attempting to kiss every single freckle on Ginny's body, which was about impossible because there were so many. She soon forgot about work, the Ministry, her family, and everything that was going on in her life. It was like the rest of the world had vanished, and now all that was left was Ginny, Draco, and the bed.

Ginny clenched the sheets with her hands, tempted to scream out in pleasure. She couldn't think, she couldn't talk, and all she could do was lie there in ecstasy. Draco seemed to be the perfect match for her. Never had she felt so much pleasure before she fell for him. Now every minute spent with him was one for her to treasure.

When they were done, they laid down next to each other, catching their breath. Sweat had accumulated on Ginny's brow, and she wiped her face with her hand. She would need to take a shower, but that could wait.

They were silent for several minutes until Ginny decided to break it; she hated long awkward silences, not that this one was awkward, but any silence in a way can make people feel uncomfortable. She was one of those kinds of people.

"Well," she said, not sure exactly what to say. "That was great."

She turned her face to see his reaction, and a familiar grin was the first thing that she saw. Normally this would be the moment that he would make some remark in reference to how it must have been great because he was good at everything, but he didn't say a thing. He wasn't always as cocky as she had known him to be, but then again everyone has sides to them that they only show to certain people. Ginny would have felt special, but she didn't want to jinx it.

Another couple minutes went by until Draco finally said something. "When are you going to get rid of this dump and move in with me?" he asked, looking at Ginny head on with his grey-blue eyes. They reminded her of how the sky looks on a hazy day or when a storm is approaching.

She didn't like how he spoke of her apartment. It was her first place that was all her own, and she had lived there since leaving Hogwarts. How could he call it a dump? Yes, it was no Taj Mahal, but it was home to her. Ginny could not afford a classy and overly expense place to live like Draco, but her apartment was decent for what it was. She had a bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, and living room. It was big enough for her and for when she had company over. The place was also in good condition. So, yet again, how could he call it a dump?

She knew that he was used to the finer things in life, but she had grown up with a big family and not enough money to spend on nice things. Although she could understand why Draco held twisted views and values, she was still insulted by that remark. Ginny sat up and looked down at him. "That was unnecessary."

"What are you talking about?" he asked, apparently confused at why she was acting offended. He did not understand that he did anything wrong.

"That nasty remark you just made," she replied. "This place is in no way, shape, or form to be called a dump. It's my home."

He sat up next and looked as though he was actually thinking about what to say. He didn't want to get her more upset, he knew how she could get when she was really bothered by something or someone, so he wanted to choose his words carefully.

"I'm sorry," he stated, a phase that he always hated having to use. He was raised to believe that Malfoys never feel sorry for anything, but he later learned that was not completely true. "I didn't mean it in that way. It's just that since we are getting married you might as well work on moving in. That way I won't have to come all the way out here to see you."

"I still have to talk to the landlord," Ginny answered, silently accepting his apology. She definitely wanted to marry Draco, but she was worried about moving in with him. What would it be like to live with him 24/7? She would have to get used to the decorations of the place, which gave off an eerie Malfoy feel. Maybe she would be able to talk him into redecorating, so she wouldn't have to live in a place that was obviously ornamented by Draco's father, or at least by the same decorator that did the Malfoy mansion. Also, something she didn't think of until now, she would have to live with a house elf, which could be weird. Her anxiety about moving in with him was setting in...

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**A/N:** Finally back and updated. Sorry for the long wait. **Please Review!** Also thank you to all of my reviews, you all are the best! I was glad to receive so many reviews.

**numbluver**- You don't suck at reviews. I need all the encouragement I can get. Thank you!

**crazy white girl**- Well thanks for leaving a review! I'm happy that you like the story.

**fieryred20**- Thanks for the compliment.

**Aelys**- Sorry it took so long!

**eX Driver Liz**- Lol, thanks so much!

**Red**- Thanks. More will be revealed as the story progresses.

**Catmint**- Thank you. Yet again, sorry about waiting so long to update.

**Draco & Ginny Forever!**- Thanks.

**cristalfairy**- I won't, thank you very much for reviewing.


	11. Lies

**Chapter 11**

Movement in the bed next to Ginny caused her to slowly drift out of her sweet dreams. Her heavy eyelids fought to open, and when they finally did they were attacked with a flood of sunlight. The shades were up, allowing the sun to pour into the bedroom. Gradually gaining the use of her senses, Ginny turned over to her left side to see what was going on. Draco was sitting on the edge of the bed, apparently dressing himself. Meanwhile he was shaking the bed, which was what caused her to wake up in the first place.

The redhead inched her way over to her boyfriend, and wrapped her freckled arms around his torso. This caused Draco to look down and turn his head to see her. He grinned and leaned in to give her a kiss on her forehead. She returned his kiss with a sleepy smile. His sober voice asked as his eyes pierced hers, "Did you sleep well?"

Ginny nodded her head of messy red hair as an answer and reluctantly let go of her beau. When her grasp was released he stood up and, to her disappointment, pulled on his shirt. With one swift movement he turned around and stood facing her while slipping his well-toned arm into the sleeve of his suit jacket. Ginny made her way to the edge of the bed where he had been sitting previously and she grabbed his hand, pulling him back down to her.

"You don't have to leave so soon, do you?" she whined, holding onto him. She was still drowsy, she was never fully awake until she had her coffee, but she was awake enough to realize what was going on. Although it was weekday and she knew that they both had work to do, she did not want the peaceful relaxation to end.

"So soon?" he asked in response with a light laugh. "It is almost ten o'clock. We both overslept and I have work today, you know that."

Her eyes darted from him to her clock, which read nine fifty-five. Groaning at the realization that her boyfriend was right, she let him go and got up out of bed. Before stretching her arms and heading into the bathroom she replied, "Blimey! When you were planning on waking me up? I have work too, and important things to do."

He leaned on the wall outside of the bathroom casually. "You looked so serene, I didn't want to disrupt your slumber. Besides, you would probably have thrown a pillow at me and gone back to sleep anyway. Don't forget what happened to the alarm clock."

"I know, I know," she responded with a sigh. Then she poked her head out of the bathroom. "Well if you must go then head off. I'll see you later?"

Draco nodded and they kissed, this time on the lips. After several moments their contact broke and he started towards the living room. Ginny screamed after him from the bathroom, "Have a nice time at work!"

She heard footsteps and then a door slam shut. Now that he was gone she returned to getting ready for work, and jumped in the shower. The shower was quick, and soon she was drying herself off and dressing quickly. Ginny was actually going in to work this morning, so she had to look presentable and to be in at a reasonable time. It was a setback that she overslept, but if she got a move on then she would have enough time to get everything done.

After taking one last glance in the mirror, and downing her third cup of coffee, Ginny set out to her office. She carried a black leather bag on her arm and the keys of her apartment were jingling in her pocket at every step. She entered the office of Warts with an air of confidence, greeting everyone that she passed by. Instead of heading straight back towards her office, Ginny took a minor detour. Raising her fist, she knocked twice on her boss's door.

A familiar gruff voice from inside the room said, "Enter."

Ginny obeyed, closing the door behind her, and moved in further. The room was darker than the rest of the building, the shades were closed restraining all outside light from entering. Her eyes eventually adjusted to the darkness and she noticed Mr. Hillman sitting at his desk. He looked the same as always, with his hand on his forehead and his eyes focused on a document that was sitting before him. As she wandered in it was as if he hardly even noticed her presence.

She stood for a bit, behind one of the chairs, waiting for him to acknowledge her. Knowing how he could be from experience, she did not want to irritate him, so she wanted to wait for him to speak first. After a few minutes he set the papers aside without looking up. His voice grunted, "Take a seat."

Another paper soon took the place of the one that had just been discarded. Ginny could literally count the number of deep lines in her boss's forehead, and she was bored enough to. She pulled out the chair that she had standing behind and took a seat in it, placing her bag on the floor next to her. One of her legs crossed over the other one and her hands came to rest on her lap.

She sat there for several more minutes, tapping her fingers on her lap and counting the many lines that the shades drew on the desk and man in front of her. This became so consuming, that when her boss began talking to her she was not paying attention. His annoyed intonation finally brought her out of her reverie, and she returned her attention to him.

"What is it that you want, Miss Weasley?"

"Yes," she answered, noticing that Mr. Hillman was not in the best mood. She leaned down, fumbled through her bag, and eventually sat back up holding something in her hands. Leaning forward, she placed the papers on his desk and then sat back in her seat. "I brought you the rough draft of my article. It is a sort of follow-up on the renovation. I wanted to let the people know what is really going on, and give them a sort of before, during, and after."

The old man picked up the papers that she plopped on his desk and set them on top of a stack of sheets. His eyes returned to the desk and he seemed ready to get rid of her already. "I will look at it when I get the chance. Keep up the good work and I will see you later."

"There is something else, Mr. Hillman," Ginny stated before getting up from her seat. She kept her eyes on her boss and waited for his reaction. Earlier she had promised an old friend that she would put in a good word for him, and that was what she intended to do.

"Well? I don't have all day you know."

"I have a friend, Colin Creevey, and he is looking for work. He is a photographer, really enthusiastic about what he does, and would be a great asset to the paper. I was not sure if you were hiring or not, but I am willing to vouch for him. All I ask is that you give him an interview. We could use a great photographer around here."

Her boss finally looked back up at her, but without irritation. Instead he gave her a better response than she could have hoped for, especially with the mood that he was in. "Alright then, set up an interview for him at the front desk and I'll take a look at his portfolio. If he is as good as you say he is, then he's got a shot at a job."

"Thank you so much Mr. Hillman," Ginny replied with a grateful smile. "I promise that you will not regret this."

"I better not."

Promptly she got up from the chair and grabbed her bag. This encounter put her in a good mood for the day. She stopped by her office, saw that she had no messages or packages, and headed back the way she had come. At the front desk she made the appointment for Colin like she was told and then, saying goodbye to her co-workers, left the building.

She was on her way to a place that she had never been to before, which she set aside her afternoon in order to go to. This place, so to speak, was Ginny's brother's apartment. He never invited any of them there, so Ginny was quite sure that she would be the first Weasley to cross the threshold other than him. She was not really looking forward to the visit, she was not sure about how he was going to react, but it was something that had to be done eventually. It seemed easier to simply get it over with then to keep discussing it and debating whether to go or not.

The apartment was not hard to find. She had gotten the address from her mother, who keeps in contact with him. Ginny soon found herself standing outside of a tall building in London, ringing a buzzer for the apartment. After a couple of minutes of standing there and waiting, she was beginning to give up. Perhaps he was not home, or did not want company. Or maybe he looked out of his window, saw it was her, and decided that he did not want to let her up.

These were the thoughts that ran through her head as she was about to walk away. Right when she took her first step away from the door she heard a voice and immediately moved back to where she was standing. It was Percy. "Who is it?"

"It is your sister, Ginny."

There was a hesitation before the voice replied. "Come on up."

Ginny was surprised that he let her up without questioning her first, but she entered nonetheless. She climbed up several flights of stairs before finally landing in front of the one that she knew was his. The door was open, waiting for her, and Percy was standing at the entrance. His arms were crossed and his horn-rimmed spectacles were resting on his thin nose. He was wearing a brown sweater and dark slacks, and his greasy red hair was brushed back.

She entered his apartment at the nod of his head, and he closed the door behind her. The minute she entered her eyes automatically scanned the place, ready to see how her brother had been living. It came as no surprise to her that the room was immaculate, nothing seemed out of place. His living room had a couch, some bookshelves, and a desk that sat in front of a small window. There was an opening on the left, which lead to his kitchen and a small hall containing two doors.

"Take a seat," he said, drawing her attention back to him. He took a seat on the couch and gestured for her to join him. She sat down next to him, placing her bag on the coffee table that was several inches away from her. The short table held a newspaper and several piles of magazines. "I haven't seen you since Ron's wedding."

"Yes, how have you been?" she asked innocently, like a sister who has not seen her brother in a while as opposed to a journalist who wants information from an insider.

"Tolerable."

"I'm sorry to hear about your job. The Ministry is really changing a lot, aren't they?" she replied, knowing that he would be reluctant to mention he was laid off. His job was a matter of pride with him and it must have hurt to have it taken away.

"Who told you?" he asked, not waiting for a response. "Is that what you came here to talk about?"

"Of course not, I wanted to see my brother," Ginny answered convincingly. It came down to lies.

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**A/N**: Sorry about the delay. Thanks to those who read and reviewed. Please review!

**Draco & Ginny Forever!**- Thanks.

**Aelys-** Glad you liked it.

**Red-** lol.

**Catmint**- Thank you. P.S. I know that I am bad with tenses, but in the future I'll try to look out for them. As for this chapter I have no time because I want to get it up as soon as possible, but thanks for pointing that out.


	12. Percy

**Chapter 12 **

"Well, here I am," Percy replied, surveying his sister for an ulterior motive. "I can't say that I'm not surprised to see you."

"Yeah, well, I thought that we could do some catching up. Maybe have a real conversation. What do you think?" Ginny asked, trying to read her brother's body language. She could tell that he didn't trust her, or at least didn't trust her reason for visiting. Her excuse did have some reality to it though; they had not had a real conversation for as long as she could remember. This was the first time that she ever did anything about it.

"I'm not sure what to think," he responded, the same undecided expression plastered on his face. She wondered what it would take to convince him that she was not hiding anything. "This visit is out of the blue. Then again you never have been a predictable one."

Ginny smiled at his comment. "I try."

"I'm sure," he stated. Placing his hands on his knees, Percy glanced uneasily up at his sister. Then in either an attempt to change the subject or give himself something to do he acted as though he suddenly remembered his manners. "Would you like something to drink? Tea? Coffee?"

"Coffee," she instantly answered, not needing any time to think about it. It did not matter how much coffee she already had that day, to her there was never enough. "I like mine black."

"Alright," Percy stood up from his spot and moved over to the opening of his small kitchen. She could still see him moving about in the nook from where she sat because there was an aperture over the counter dividing the kitchen and the living room. He spoke to her as he filled the coffee pot with water. "Have you spoken with mum lately?"

"She sent me a letter a couple of days ago," she said, crossing her legs and looking around the apartment. She wondered how long he would be able to afford the place, considering the loss of his job. He probably still had hopes of working at the Ministry after the renovation was complete, but she was not sure that would happen.

"Really? What did she write about?"

Ginny got the distinct impression that he really asking her whether their mother mentioned what happened to him or not. She decided not to mention it. "Oh, just the usual. She was complaining about how I don't visit them enough and how she wants me to bring Draco and go over there for a day."

"Oh." he responded, putting the coffee pot in its place and then walking around to return to the living room. Waiting for the coffee, he leaned against the wall facing his sister. He seemed unsure of what to talk about with her. Then it was as if he was abruptly struck with an idea. "How is work? Are you still with that newspaper, _Warts_?"

"Yes and it is good. I'm actually working on a piece right now."

"Let me guess, it is about the renovation. The whole thing is absurd."

"I disagree," Ginny stated, already knowing that he would have a negative view of the situation. "This change is necessary."

"Of course you would agree with it," he spouted, turning back to check on the coffee. "It is because of your damned article that the Ministry is being changed in the first place!"

"Something needed to be done. People should know the truth. Fudge and other people in the Ministry were corrupt. We should not have a corrupt group of people in charge of the wizarding community."

"The Ministry was not corrupt! This is corrupt!" he shouted from the other room. She could hear him set down two mugs on the counter followed by the sound of a liquid being poured. "How is taking out the only people who have done anything good for the wizarding community going to make things better? Can you explain that?"

Ginny was secretly grinning. For this she was prepared, knowing that once the topic was started Percy would become emotional about it and most likely say things that he normally would withhold without realizing it. For the moment it was like he forgot she was a journalist. Percy returned to the living room carrying a mug with each hand. He handed the right one to Ginny, black as she had ordered, and then retreated to take a seat. Setting his cup of coffee down on the coffee table next to the newspaper, he looked back up at his sister as she spoke. "How can you defend Fudge after that stunt he pulled, trying to convict an innocent man?"

"I stand by him through all of this," he stated curtly. "Fudge is innocent of that accusation. He was framed."

"Oh really?" she asked sarcastically. "Prove it."

"We will." His eyes looked on her fiercely, not as if she was his sister but as if she was his opponent. It was obvious that he truly believed what he was saying and did not doubt the notion for a second. She could understand his cold determination; Percy looked up to Fudge and valued the position that he was given. Now that was all taken away from him with one foul swoop, leaving him with nothing but the hopes that things would return to the way they were. In a way Ginny felt a small pang of guilt, for it was her expose that sparked the awareness and need for change, but she knew that it was better for the entire community this way. He was simply on the wrong side.

"If he is innocent," Ginny began, thoughtfully. "as you so say, then why does this renovation bother you so much? If Fudge did nothing wrong then he should not be concerned about losing his position as Minister."

"It won't matter," he replied scornfully after taking a gulp of the coffee. "They are intent on replacing all of the higher branches of the Ministry one way or the other."

She pulled her cup up to her mouth, savoring one long sip of the freshly brewed java. So her brother was not getting his position back, or it was not likely he would. Fudge most likely would no longer be trusted, especially if found guilty. Obviously her brother would back him, but she for one thought he capable of fraud. With a short sigh Ginny finally said, "I guess that we will simply have to wait and see what happens."

"We won't have to wait long," Percy commented automatically, without thinking about what he was saying first. "His trial is in two weeks."

Ginny, finishing the last of her coffee, had all the information that she required. She placed the cup down, grabbed her purse, and stood up. Glancing over at her brother she flashed him one mischievous smile. "This was fun. We should do it again sometime."

He looked at her oddly, wondering what she was thinking, and raised to walk her to the door. She followed behind him and watched as he opened the door. Both of them had a feeling that they would not be doing that again anytime soon, and Ginny was sure that he would not wish to speak to her after her article went to print. Percy stood by his doorway, watching his sister disappear down the staircase. Once she was out of sight he entered his apartment and slammed the door shut, relieved that she was gone.

After the interesting conversation with her brother, Ginny headed back home to take some notes. Percy did prove to be useful for something and she wanted to write the information down just in case she became distracted and forgot. When she arrived outside of her apartment she paused in front of her door. From her spot in the hallway she could hear noises coming from inside. She looked down and saw that light was creeping into the hall from under the door. For a moment Ginny freaked, hesitating to open the door, but then it hit her. Only one other person had a key...

The scene that met her was unexpected. Draco was in the kitchen with his back toward her chopping something on the counter. Was he cooking? It sure looked like it, but Ginny knew that Draco never cooked a day in his life. He never had the need to, so why would he now? It seemed improbable. She turned her head to the left. Her television was on, that was where the noise was coming from. It was on a news channel and a woman in a purple suit was going on and on about something.

Ginny closed the door behind her, causing Draco to realize she was there. He did not look up, he did not have to- she was the only person who it could have been. Instead he simply kept at what he was doing and acknowledged her presence. "Have you spoken to your landlord yet?"

She turned off the television and glanced over in his direction. It took her a second to reply; she could not believe that that would be the first thing he said to her. Actually, if it was not for him asking then she would not have remembered, but she was surprised at his determination to get her to get rid of her apartment. "It's nice to see you too."

"You can't keep putting it off forever you know," he replied calmly, setting down the knife and turning around to face her. He wiped his hands off on a small white towel and then tossed it aside, moving leisurely through the kitchen and entering the living room. "If you want then I could talk to him for you and you can move in next weekend."

"I can do it myself," she said, placing her bag down on her desk. "What is the big hurry?"

"No hurry, but if we lived together then it would make the commuting a whole lot easier for both of us."

Draco made his way over to Ginny and they both stopped talking. They stood about an inch apart silently gazing at each other. Ginny searched the depths of his beautiful grey eyes, but only found herself lost in them. Taking her hands in his, he pulled her to him, the curves of their bodies fitting together forming one complete being with two beating hearts. His left hand traveled up the side of her body and brushed back a lock of her red hair, placing it behind her ear. She leaned in closer, covering his pink lips with hers. That moment felt like eternity, although it only lasted a minute, and as they pulled apart the world seemed to turn.

"You are here early," Ginny was finally able to say as Draco returned to the kitchen and she took a seat at her desk. Pulling out some paper, she began to jot some things down as she spoke, a weak sensation trembling throughout her body from the kiss. She was amazed that he still had that effect on her. "How was work?"

"The usual," he answered. She could hear him moving things around in the kitchen. "I thought that I would leave a little bit early and come make you dinner."

"But you don't cook."

"If Weas- Ron can do it then I don't see why I can't."

Ginny laughed, gaily and happily. She slipped the paper into a drawer and turned to look over at her boyfriend. She felt that there was nowhere that she would rather be.

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**A/N:** I can't believe that it took me this long to update. I meant to do it sooner. Anyway, I would like to thank the people who reviewed last time. I don't have time to respond to you all individually, but thanks a lot. Please review and hopefully I won't take this long to update again. I love you all. 


	13. Occassional Oddities

**Chapter 13**

The week seemed to fly by. Before Ginny had enough time to say 'hippogriff' it was Friday, and she found herself waking up full of dread for what awaited her, for that night her and Draco were taking a little trip to the Malfoy Manor. Trying to free her mind of pessimistic thoughts, she pulled her comforter up over her head, attempting to shield herself from the upcoming night and failing miserably. Realizing that she was fighting a losing battle Ginny tore herself from her sheets and stumbled over to her bathroom, finding herself face to face with a mirror and not liking what she was seeing.

Mumbling quietly to herself she turned the faucet on and began to wash her face. Her bright red hair was sticking up in odd places, so after grabbing a bottle of Sleekeasy's Hair Potion from her medicine cabinet she embarked on a desperate endeavor to tame it. The result was not quite what she had hoped for, but at least now her hair did not look like it had been through a hurricane.

After getting dressed Ginny grabbed her bag and headed down the stairs of her apartment building. Before work she planned on finally speaking with her landlord because she knew that she would have to do it eventually and Draco wouldn't rest until she had. She stood knocking on a pale green door with a gold plate fixed on it at eyelevel that had a plain 1 engraved upon it. Leaning a bit closer Ginny could hear a television on and a person shifting around. She wished that the blasted man would just hurry up and open the door, in order for her to get this over with as fast as possible.

Standing in the hallway she remembered back to the first time they met and found herself even more impatient. When Ginny was shopping around for an apartment this building was one of the first that she visited. Once she had decided on it the landlord had greeted her, if you could call it that, outside of her new apartment. His slanted brown eyes looked down upon her with a mixture of dislike and irritation. Within the first few minutes she could tell that he was someone who found his tenants a nuisance.

"If you ever need anything-" he said this in a tone suggesting it was absurd that she would ever need to know this information. His grubby hand ran over his bald head, which was reflecting light from the lights in the hall. Meanwhile his other hand was massaging his rather large stomach, which was so big it looked like he was pregnant. "I live in apartment number 1."

"I'll remember that," Ginny had replied with a mischievous smile, wondering how he would react if she ever did come to call on him. The thought quite amused her and as he walked away she pictured what his expression might be if she had him come up the stairs to fix something that was not actually broken. Ever since that day she never saw him on her floor and she wondered if he ever left the ground floor. His appearance suggested that the answer was no.

Finally, after what felt like she had been standing outside of the door for ages, Ginny heard the doorknob turn and the door was pulled inward. Her landlord filled the frame of the doorway; he was so large that she could not see the room behind him. His eyes squinted down at her and narrowed. There were orange crumbs in his bushy black mustache, but she decided that she was not the one to tell him. He scrutinized her for a minute and then asked, "Who are you?"

"Ginny Weasley, apartment number 23," she answered, knowing full well that he remembered her.

"Is there a problem with your apartment?" he grunted, obviously in a hurry to get rid of her. His television was blaring in the background.

"No, no, everything is fine," Ginny responded, as much in a hurry to leave as he was in shunning her away. "It's just that I need to discuss me moving out..."

The landlord simply told her to leave him the keys once she has moved. He seemed happy to see her leave. What she did not understand was why he took that job if he hated it so much...

She stepped out into the fresh air and walked down the street a little, turning into an alley. With a pop she disapparated and appeared in another alley that was across the street from the office of the newspaper entitled _Warts_. Ginny was ready to go to her office, but the aroma of fresh brewed coffee lured her into her favorite coffee shop. That was one of the perks of working for _Warts_, that there happened to be a coffee shop right across the street from their office.

A little bell went off as she pushed open the door and stepped into the shop. To her contentment there was no line and the woman behind the counter seemed to be waiting just for her. Ginny walked up to the counter and, without any need to look at the menu, ordered coffee and a scone, for she had not yet had breakfast. The woman served her quickly, setting the lidded cup and a bag down on the clean counter. Ginny handed her the money, flashed the cashier a grateful smile, and then turned to leave. But something had caught her eye as she was about to open the door, and Ginny found herself standing there as a disgruntled customer attempted to enter.

Over by the window sat a person by themselves, but that was not what she had immediately noticed. The thing that caught her eye was the fact that they were reading _The Quibbler_- upside down. In all her life Ginny only knew one person who read that particular magazine in that way, so she figured that it must be Luna Lovegood. Having not seen her since Hogwarts, she decided to go and say hello. So she stepped away from the door, ignoring the person's complaints about how she was obstructing their entrance, and waltzed over to the table.

"Hi," she said, standing by the table. The magazine was covering their face, but as soon as she spoke the person set it down on the table and looked up at her. To Ginny's shock it was not Luna who was behind the magazine, it was her one of her close friends... "Harry? What are you doing reading that rubbish?"

He did not appear to be perturbed, but calmly replied, "There is some rather interesting stuff in here actually."

"I'm sure there is..." Ginny responded, eyeing him oddly.

"So, how have you been?" Harry asked conversationally, changing the topic and interrupting Ginny's study of him.

"Good, I suppose," she answered, taking a sip of her coffee. "Actually I'm moving, just talked to the landlord this morning. How about you?"

"Great," he replied almost immediately, without even thinking about it first.

"Harry, er, is there anything that you want to tell me?" she inquired, referring to his recently strange behavior that she did not understand. She remembered when she was at the Ministry and the picture Colin showed her flashed in her mind. Maybe this was all because he was dating Cho and did not want her to know about it... Her anger about it returned to her, but she masked it with impatience to get to her office. He did not seem to notice.

"No, I don't think so..." he said, wondering what she could mean. "I am going to Hogwarts soon with Hermione, but I'm sure she already told you that..."

"She has. Well, I've got to get going, work you know, so I'll see you later."

Ginny was still pondering about Harry as she entered her office and closed the door behind her. The pieces did not fit. The Quibbler, Harry with Cho, his behavior around her, how distant he was lately... She could not think of an explanation that would cover all of those areas. There had to be something going on that he was not telling her, and apparently was not telling Hermione either.

Half an hour later Ginny became aware that she had just spent way too much time thinking about Harry when she should have been working, and then she proceeded to do something about it. Her scone and coffee were already finished, and yet she had not written anything. She pulled parchment out of her bag and spread it over her desk, reading what she had already written so far. She was planning to incorporation some of the information that she had weaseled out of Percy into the article that she had been working on. After staring at the papers for several minutes she began to scribble furiously, not stopping until hours had passed by.

Looking up at a clock that was hanging on her wall, Ginny decided that she had been there long enough. She packed up her things and headed out of her office, carrying her bag on her arm and clutched in her right hand a copy of her finished article. Down the hall she stopped outside of Mr. Hillman's office and knocked, waiting for the usual grunt to signal that it was time to enter. That grunt never came. Luckily she had only been standing there for a couple minutes when Sarah, the short brunette who handled the advice column, happened to pass by. She stopped when she saw Ginny.

"Hi Ginny, how are you? Haven't seen you in a while."

Ginny smiled and turned her back on the door, her arms at her sides. "I'm good, I've just been a bit busy lately... How about you?"

"Great," she answered airily. Her eyes glanced to the door they were standing in front of and then back to Ginny. "Are you waiting to speak with Mr. Hillman?"

"As a matter of fact I am."

"Well, you will have to leave that for him then," Sarah replied, gesturing to the parchment in Ginny's hand. "Because he did not come in today."

"Oh, thanks for telling me. I could have been standing here all day!" She laughed, meanwhile wondering to herself why he did not come. She could not remember a time when Mr. Hillman did not show for work... "I'll see you later then."

Sarah continued down the hall and turned out of sight. Ginny glanced back at Hillman's door and jiggled the doorknob. The door was locked. Deciding that it might be best to not try and attempt to break-in using magic, she simply slide the paper under the door, knowing that he would find it the moment he returned. Satisfied Ginny waved goodbye to some of her co-workers and then slipped out of the building and into the street.

Not feeling particularly up to traveling, she chose to apparate back to her apartment. Setting down her bag, she looked around the room to find it empty, just as she had left it. Ginny was just about to take a seat on her couch when she heard a gentle rapping coming from her bedroom. She proceeded into the adjoined room and gave it a cursory glance, her eyes landing on the window on the far side of the room. Walking over she pulled up the shades and saw a rather small tawny owl with a scroll attached to its left foot. The owl seemed to be using all of its strength just to stay up in the air. Quickly Ginny opened the window and let the owl in, which immediately landed on her bed and held out its foot. She untied the scroll and then the owl, after resting a few moments, shot back out the window. A soft breeze blew in from the window as Ginny scanned over the letter.

_Dear Ginny,_

_Thank you again for speaking to Mr. Hillman for me. I just had my interview yesterday with him and I think that it went well. I won't know for sure until Monday, but I'm sure that I got the job and it is all thanks to you! _

_Will hopefully see you at the office soon_,

_Colin Creevey _

Ginny smiled as she rolled the scroll back up, closed the window, and returned to her living room, setting the scroll down on an end table. Out of everyone she knew Colin was most definitely perfect for that position. She remembered how, back in Hogwarts, he could be seen walking around taking pictures all the time.

Then, just as fast as her mood went up, it deflated, leaving her feeling quite cynical. It was Friday, and soon Draco would be coming to take her with him to the Malfoy Manor. Ginny realized that she had not yet packed anything, most likely because she tried to put it from her mind all week. With one disgruntled moan she stomped back into her bedroom, took out her wand, and began to pack. A suitcase flew out of her closet and opened itself up on her bed, waiting for the robes to fold themselves and then settle neatly into it. When she was done the suitcase snapped itself shut and she slipped her wand into her pocket, slinking back to her living room and finally being able to sit down.

Perhaps the visit didn't have to be so bad after all... On one hand, she had to spend the weekend with the Malfoys, who don't even know that she is coming, but on the other hand she will be at the Malfoy manor all weekend and the Malfoys were rumored to have quite a collection of Dark Arts objects... But no, this was not an investigation. No, it was more like suicide. What was Draco thinking, taking a Weasley home to his parents? They absolutely were not going to welcome her into their home with open arms, and if they didn't die of shock first, then she wondered which one would try attacking her first...

* * *

**A/N:** Thank you to all who reviewed! That is all.

**Alexandria**** J. Malfoy-** Yeah, I know, sorry about that. I must force myself to start updating more. Glad you liked the last chapter.

**RavenEcho-** I know. Thanks for reviewing!

**WildSong-** Thanks, I'm glad.

**Catmint-** Hehehe… Thanks. At first I wasn't sure about what I would do with Percy, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. Will probably return to the whole Draco cooking thing later…

**Red-** Thanks!

**Draco & Ginny Forever!-** I am definitely going through with this story to the end, I just have to get myself to update more often. Anyway, glad you liked chapter.


	14. A Surprise

**Chapter 14**

Draco arrived at Ginny's apartment about an hour later. He was dressed in new robes of dark green with his pale blond hair slicked back, and Ginny had to admit that he looked fetching. Ginny was wearing new robes as well, which she didn't feel quite as comfortable in as she would in her usual clothing. She was not used to fancy, expensive things and when she found herself steadily approaching the Malfoy Manor she could not have felt more out of place.

The Manor was as different from Ginny's old home the Burrow as it could possibly be. The large mansion was at least four times the length of the Burrow, and without any of the asymmetry. It was also several stories high, with two towers on each side. The gray roof slanted upwards into a peak at the tip of the mansion. Trees lined the landscape, outlined by the orange blaze of the sunset. As they stood on the doorstop Ginny realized how much she missed the Burrow.

The door opened swiftly and they were greeted by a small house-elf with large bat-like ears and round brown eyes. The house-elf was wearing a black pillowcase and holding in one hand a duster. Ginny saw that the other hand was swollen and folded behind its' back. At the sight of Draco it bowed deeply, it's long thin nose touching the floor. "Master Malfoy, come in, come in," the house-elf squealed, moving out of the way. "Let Nimbly get your bags for you."

The house-elf named Nimbly scrambled out to get the suitcases while Draco and Ginny stepped into the foyer. It was a huge high-ceilinged room leading straight to two winding staircases with a marble fireplace, which was lit with green fire, between them. Both sides of the foyer led to adjoining rooms.

A chandelier hung from the top of the ceiling, lighting the area with a strong yellow glow. The front door closed shut behind them and Nimbly reappeared. Meanwhile the suitcases were floating up one of the staircases, carefully passing the portraits hung on the wall.

"Master did not say you were bringing a guest," Nimbly commented, noticing Ginny standing awkwardly next to Draco. "I will go tell Master you are here."

"You do that," Draco replied indifferently, watching the house-elf turn into the room to their left, leaving them alone in the foyer.

Ginny turned to Draco, one of her eyebrows raised. "So you didn't tell them I was coming?"

"I thought it would be better done in person," he answered.

With a sigh she turned her gaze elsewhere. "I suppose they wouldn't even have believed you even if you had."

"Draco!" a woman's voice screeched from behind Ginny. She turned to see Draco's mother, Narcissa, enter from the large room to their right wearing crimson robes and her straight blonde hair down, swept behind her shoulders. As she hurried to hug her only son she stopped suddenly, noticing the girl standing beside him. Her smile instantly vanished as she turned a confused eye to her husband, who had just stridden in behind her.

"Hello mum," Draco said calmly, as though Ginny's presence was something ordinary in the Malfoy home. He looked over at his father who had taken a place beside his mother, gazing meaningfully at Ginny before turning his cold grey eyes on his son. "Dad."

For a minute there was complete silence as everyone stared at one another, waiting for someone to explain. It was as if they were either in shock or quietly pondering how to politely, or at least sophisticatedly, ask what the hell was going on. The silence was shattered when the sound of something falling and hitting a hard floor echoed into the foyer, bringing everyone back to their senses. The Malfoys ignored the sound and stood expectantly. Ginny shifted uncomfortably.

Draco kept their gaze and spoke. "This is Ginny Weasley."

Both Draco and Ginny knew that he needed no extra explanation. The Malfoys knew perfectly well who the Weasleys were; they were both old wizarding families. The only question that remained was why, for everyone knew the Malfoys always turned their rich noses up to the Weasley family. Despite that fact, neither Malfoy asked a thing.

Lucius Malfoy's lips spread into an odd smile. "My, my, Miss Weasley is all grown up. Not wearing those patched up hand-me-down robes anymore, I see."

Ginny's eyes fired up with an old hatred, but she remained calm. "And I see that you have not changed at all."

Narcissa's eyes narrowed at Ginny's comment and her sharp voice cut anyone off from adding any additional remarks. "Let's be seated, shall we?" She motioned for Draco and Ginny to enter the adjoining room to the right that they had emerged from originally. As they started towards the room she turned to her husband and said in a low voice, "You should go check on that elf. He may need to be punished again."

"I won't be long," he replied deeply, turning and starting his way up the stairs.

Narcissa turned and followed the others into the dining room. The long wooden table was already set, with long black candles dancing shadows on the empty porcelain. Draco and Ginny took seat across from each other, leaving the two end spots open. As they sat down Narcissa glanced at the table and then quietly added another place setting to the spot next to Draco.

Ginny looked at Draco, her eyes widening in wonder. Draco finally asked the question that was on her mind.

"Are you expecting someone else as well, mother?"

Mrs. Malfoy looked up at her son as she gracefully sat down in her seat and folded her legs under her following robes. "Why yes, of course, Draco. I thought we told you in the letter. One of your old classmates is visiting for the weekend. We thought it would be a pleasant surprise."

The room once again went silent as Ginny inwardly hated herself for agreeing to come. She knew that the visitor either had to be Crabbe or Goyle, they were the two goons that had followed around Draco for years, and they also happened to be two of the last people that she ever wanted to see again.

Draco sensed the tension coming from Ginny, but did not worry. He never expected everything to go perfectly, he knew his parents too well to be that foolish, and he figured that a visitor could not really hurt the situation. Actually it would give them all a reason to watch how they act that weekend. Putting that situation aside, it was kind of nice to be back at his childhood home. The mansion felt as welcoming to him as it felt foreboding to his fiancé.

"Would you all care for some wine?" Lucius had returned and as he finished with the word wine all of the glasses filled halfway with a dark crimson liquid. He swept to the head of the table and took his seat on the throne-like chair. With his right hand he carefully picked up the glass, swirling it in a circular motion slowly, before taking a sip. His eyes landed on Ginny for a brief second and she could feel them burning into her skin. Then they returned to his wife. He apparently did not need to speak in order to ask her a question.

"She said that she may be a bit late. We can wait for her."

"She?" Ginny asked loudly, her confusion expressly shown on her befuddled face. "What do you mean 'she'?"

Narcissa coolly replied, "Pansy Parkinson, our visitor."

"Pansy? That's who is coming here?" Ginny asked, hoping that Narcissa was mistaken. Now she regretted not wanting Crabbe or Goyle to come, she would gladly take them over Pansy any day. Of course ideally she would not have to ever see any of them again.

"Correct." Mrs. Malfoy tried her wine, not looking up from the table.

Draco was almost as surprised as Ginny was, if not more so, to hear who they were expecting. He had not seen Pansy for quite some time and now he found himself wondering what she had been up to since they last were in contact. Interestingly he had not missed her once over the couple of years it had been, and even now he was not excited to see her, only curious.

Breaking out of his thoughts his eyes glazed over the table. Ahead of him Ginny did not look happy, to his right his mother looked a bit distracted, and finally to his left his father looked almost like it was Impossible for him to wipe the smug grin off of his face. It probably was.

It did not take long for Ginny to finish her glass of wine and she impatiently waited for it to refill. She figured that things could not get much worse in the next couple of hours, since she was already expected to spend two nights in a mansion with three people that she detested. All she could do now was stay quiet, drink up, and hope for the best.

"So, how have you been Draco?" Narcissa asked, her tone of voice noticeably different from earlier when she had spoken to Ginny. Her eyes stared warmly at her son, a look that Ginny would have thought would be impossible for a Malfoy to pull off. "How is your apartment?"

"Good, everything is good," he responded honestly. He currently had no real complaints and his life generally stayed that way.

"And how about you, Weasley?" Lucius Malfoy asked curiously, as if he did not already know. "What have you been up to?"

"She works at _Warts_, as one of the top writers," Draco answered for her.

"Oh yes, and how is that newspaper doing?" Lucius asked with slight contempt and arrogance, his eyes directed at Ginny. He had every reason to despise her and the paper, after the article she had written little over a year ago. That was something that affected him directly, and everyone present was aware of that.

"Very well actually," Ginny answered. Each word was uttered with traces of resentment, but she did not yell or lose her temper.

A pounding from outside broke the tension in the dining room. From their seats they could hear the door open and close and voices murmur. Then the sound of bare feet padding along smooth floors grew louder and louder until Nimbly appeared in the doorway. His left foot looked like it had been smashed and burned. His squeaky voice announced, "Miss Parkinson", and then he limped out of the room and disappeared.

All the Malfoys looked up from their glasses and soon every eye was on the now empty doorway. Five seconds later a woman appeared. She was the same age as Ginny and about the same height. Her body appeared thin and fragile, but her face was less than angelic. Her face still had the turned up nose and pug-quality about it that Ginny remembered from Hogwarts.

Her lips curled into a smile as soon as she stepped into the room. "Hello Draco."

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**A/N:** Extremely sorry about the long wait. This story is still going to be updated, so don't worry. Thanks for reading! 


	15. It Could Have Been Worse

**Chapter 15**

"Pansy," Draco replied evenly, turning to look at her from his seat. She looked about the same as he remembered, only slightly taller. "It has been a long time."

"Yes, I know," she answered, pulling some blonde hair behind her ear and revealing emerald green earrings that matched her dress. "Well, aren't you going to come here and give me a proper greeting?"

"Of course," Draco responded after slight hesitation and a glance at Ginny. He pushed his chair back and stood up, smoothing out his robes before walking over to give Pansy an awkward hug. As they pulled apart Pansy leaned back in to give Draco a quick kiss on the cheek. Ginny's eyes narrowed, but to her delight Draco pulled away and returned to his seat.

Pansy followed Draco and took the empty seat next to him. Ginny's eyes never left her, as they stared menacingly. She knew that she had no reason to be jealous of Pansy, but Pansy and Draco had dated in Hogwarts and she simply did not trust her.

Draco caught Ginny looking at Pansy and decided to formally introduce them, even though they both already knew who each other was. "Pansy, this is Ginny Weasley."

"That is you," Pansy said snootily, picking up her wine glass with her pale bony right hand. "I thought that you looked familiar. That flaming red hair is a dead giveaway. You are the last Weasley, aren't you?"

"Most likely not," Ginny replied crossly. "One of my brothers is married and they are probably going to a have a child sometime soon."

"More like ten, isn't it family tradition to have an entire tribe of children that you cannot afford?" the blonde asked mockingly, with an arrogant grin spread across her thin red lips.

"Pansy," Draco interrupted, knowing that she was going to start a war if she was allowed to continue. His voice was deep and commanding. "Hold your tongue."

She looked surprised at his annoyance. Her eyes turned to him with confusion marked in them, yet she was still in a playful mood. "Why Draco? You know that it is true."

"That is not the point."

"Then what is the point?" she asked. "Why are you being so defensive?"

"Ginny is my fiancé."

At that answer everybody sitting at the table turned to look at him as if expecting some sort of explanation. He broke the silence, knowing that everyone there aside from Ginny would be shocked at the news. "I was going to make an announcement later on, but there you go. I proposed to her several weeks ago and she said yes. End of story."

Pansy looked as if she had swallowed her tongue whole. The Malfoys both held stony expressions, apparently displeased with what they had heard. Ginny was equally surprised that he just spurted their news out like it was nothing, but she was glad that he finally told them.

"What a surprise," Narcissa finally uttered before taking a rather large drink, finished the last of her red wine.

"Indeed," Lucius stated profoundly, flashing his son a look.

"Well," Pansy commented nasally, "It could be worse."

"Actually Pansy, you are right." Ginny replied. "It could be a lot worse." In her mind she added on, 'he could be marrying you'.

"How about a toast then?" Lucius asked, startling them all. As he raised his glass all of theirs refilled. They followed his lead and raised their glasses as well, even though none of them understood why he would want to celebrate anything after what he just heard. "To surprises."

Everyone took a sip, Narcissa taking another large one, and then set their glasses down. At that moment all of the five plates filled with food and the table grew silent as people began to busy themselves with eating.

After dinner everyone dispersed into different rooms throughout the house, excusing themselves for the night. Lucius returned to his study where he sat before a fire, thinking quietly and fingering a small bottle that was sitting in the right pocket of his robes. Narcissa went off to their bedroom and was currently sitting before a large mirror and brushing her long blonde hair with a silver comb. She was calm and actually looking forward to the following day.

Pansy, obviously upset by the unexpected news at dinner, strutted into the study. Lucius rustled in his seat, annoyed that his silence was disturbed. When he saw it was Pansy he motioned for her to take a seat in the brown leather armchair adjacent to him. She obliged and fell into the seat huffing and puffing the whole way.

"I can't believe how much he has changed these past years," she whined in her shrill voice. "And the audacity he has! Bringing someone like _her_ to dinner. It's almost unheard of."

"Relax my dear," Lucius sighed. According to him she was overreacting to the situation and her anxiety was ruining his serenity. "You have nothing to worry about."

"What do you mean I have nothing to worry about?" she asked, totally confused as to why he was as calm as he appeared. "Where you not at that table too? Did you not hear what I heard? He is marrying that, that _thing_! And he doesn't care at all about what anyone has to say about it."

"What I mean is that you are overreacting," he answered clearly. "Tomorrow everything will be fine. I am going to have a talk with him and the problem will be solved. You'll see. Now, go get some rest. You are going to age early sitting up all night worrying."

"Whatever you say Lucius," she replied, getting up from her seat. "I hope you are right. Good night."

She left the room the way she came. Walking lightly through the dark halls illuminated only by sparse candles on the walls, a thought occurred to her. She decided to make a slight detour on the way to her room. Who knows, maybe she won't even make it to her room that night. With this thought a devious smile spread over Pansy's mouth.

Meanwhile Ginny and Draco were getting ready for the night in his old bedroom. Draco was changing by his bed while Ginny was standing by the dresser, going through her suitcase. Dinner had been awkward, at best. She couldn't even imagine what it was going to be like actually spending the entire weekend.

"So dinner wasn't that bad, was it?" Draco asked her casually as he pulled off his robes and tossed them aside on a nearby chair. "All considered it went pretty well. No yelling, no pulling wands out, or anything."

"It could have been worse," Ginny admitted, but she refused to agree with Draco's optimistic outlook. His parents did not exactly welcome her into their home with open arms, but they did not attack her either. Considering their past encounters, she should have been content with what she got. "But I must admit I did not expect to be seeing Pansy here."

Draco glanced at Ginny in the mirror. He could tell by the look in her eyes that Pansy's appearance at dinner was not a good thing. "I know, I was shocked to see her as well. They didn't tell me that she was coming. Mother must have invited her on a whim and forgot to mention it."

'Yeah sure, on a whim,' Ginny thought to herself. She didn't trust the Malfoys' any more than she would trust Ron to pick out her wardrobe, and everyone knew what bad taste Ron had in clothes. She finished going through her stuff and turned around to face Draco. "Where is the bathroom?"

"Down the hall, second door on the left," he answered instantly, without even having to think about it. After all, he did know the mansion like the back of his hand.

Ginny slipped into the hallway, closing the door behind her. Then everything was dark. The few candles there were to light the way were small and flickering, and she felt like they were taunting her as she tried to follow the directions she was given. They sounded simple enough, but sometime Ginny had wound up getting herself lost.

'Only I could manage getting lost trying to find a room that is supposedly only a couple doors down,' she growled silently, frustrated at the lack of light and how she forgot to bring her wand with her. She pictured it sitting on top of Draco's dresser. That didn't make her feel any better.

Then she heard a noise and turned around. A dark figure was moving its way toward her, and they were carrying something in their hand. They muttered something and light emanated from it. In the glow she could see everything clearly. The figure was Lucius Malfoy, and he was holding his wand with his left hand. The other hand was in his pocket. He shined the light in her face.

"Lost, are we?" he asked mockingly.

"I was looking for the bathroom," Ginny explained, not getting frightened by Malfoy's malicious demeanor. She did not expect him to be nice to her, but she knew that he at least must remain civil as long as she was with his son. Draco would not allow his father to act out of line and therefore Ginny knew that she was, for the moment, untouchable.

"It is right over there," he answered, pointing to a room a couple feet away from where they were standing.

She nodded to him and stepped by him, walking up to the door that he had pointed out. As she went to reach out for the handle she heard him clear his throat, as though he was about to say something else, so she turned her head slightly to look at him.

"You should bring your wand with you next time," he commented, the corner of his lips pulling upward. His grey eyes glistened in the light, a bit of amusement in them. "Wouldn't want anything to happen to you, now would we?"

Ginny did not reply nor did Lucius wait for her to. With that last remark he swept off into the hallway, headed toward Merlin knows where. Ginny took that moment to hastily open the door and turn on the light, shutting and locking the door behind her after she entered.

She knew Lucius was going to be rude to her, she would naïve to think otherwise, but him threatening her? That was how she interpreted his little warning. She did not believe that her safety was in danger, but now she most definitely was not going anywhere in that manor without her wand handy. You never knew when it came to the Malfoys, those wizards could surprise you. Hell, Draco sure did.


	16. Schemes

**Chapter 16**

Draco was putting the last of his robes in the wardrobe when there was a knock at the door. Without even turning to look he shouted out, "Just come on in Ginny, the door is unlocked."

He heard the doorknob turn, the hinges creak, and then seconds later the door shut softly. Footsteps made their way across the hardwood floors, barely making a sound. Then a voice replied, "It's not Ginny."

When Draco turned around he saw Pansy sitting on the end of his bed with a smile on her face. She did not seem to mind his surprise, but she obviously expected some other sort of reaction to come from him. She began to play with her blonde hair, twirling it between her milky white fingers. "Haven't you missed me Draco?"

"Pansy, what are you doing in here?" Draco asked, his surprise turning into annoyance.

She did not appear to be perturbed. "To make up for old times," she answered slyly, getting up from the bed and inching closer to him. She didn't stop until she was only about an inch away. Leaning forward she whispered in his ear while her hand reached out to touch his chest. "You remember how it used to be, don't you Draco?"

"That was years ago Pansy," Draco replied, removing her hand from him in disgust. "I'm getting married now, just in case you weren't paying attention at dinner."

"Oh, I was paying attention," she said, not backing down. "But I don't understand it. Honestly, I can hardly believe that you would marry her, of all people. You can't be serious. I know you, Draco, and this is not you."

"You only think you know me," he retorted.

At that moment the door opened. Ginny was standing in the doorway, a look of astonishment and anger about her face. She had not heard any of their conversation, only saw the two of them standing close together, Pansy's hands on Draco. Her eyes darted between them, staring both of them down. She left the room for fifteen minutes and already Draco was in the bedroom with Pansy. A fury rose up inside of her and for a moment she couldn't even speak. When she finally could it came out as a scream.

"What the bloody hell is going on in here?" she demanded, not moving from her spot. She stood still with her hands at her sides, her feet spread apart as if she were at attention.

Pansy simply smiled at her, not caring at all if Ginny was upset. It actually pleased her to see the redhead in a state of unease, especially because she knew it was all her fault. As she turned her head to look at Draco she noticed the look of concern on his face and then backed away from him. She could tell a fight was about to take place, and she did not want to be in the middle of it.

"I'm just going to be going now," Pansy stated, not realizing that no one was paying any attention to her. "Draco, I'll see you tomorrow." Then she slipped out of the room and into the hall where she walked to her room.

"Ginny," Draco claimed, "It is not what it looks like."

"Oh really," she replied, obviously not believing him. "Then what is it exactly? What is going on in here while I'm in the bathroom?"

"Nothing happened," he answered. "Believe me. Pansy came in here on her own. We were just talking."

"What could you possibly have to say to her?"

"I didn't even want to talk to her," he responded, his brow wrinkled in worry. "She came in here, remember? I was trying to get her to leave."

'It didn't look like you were trying too hard,' Ginny thought to herself. She was still angry, but she was calming down. She didn't trust Pansy, and she didn't trust Pansy alone with Draco. That was what bothered her so much.

Draco could tell Ginny was still upset and that she was worried about something. He didn't want her mad at him, especially since she didn't even have a reason to be. "Ginny, come here," he said, opening his arms to her.

She walked slowly into his arms and he closed them around her. After a couple minutes of just standing there her head tilted up. "Draco, something about this place unnerves me. I ran into your father in the hall and he kind of threatened me. It wasn't really what he said, but more like how he said it."

"This is where I grew up," he replied. He knew that Ginny was hesitant about coming because of past experiences with his family, but it was still his family and if there were going to be married then she had to spend some time with them. "And I'm sure you just took him the wrong way."

"But I didn't," she responded, breaking free from his hold and walking over to the dresser. "I know what I heard."

"He can be hard to get along with, I know that, but he would never harm you. You are a guest in his house, and my fiancé."

"How do you know? I mean he is a… you know. He is dangerous. I know he won't hurt me as long as I'm with you, but it's not like he wouldn't have before."

Draco realized this conversation was going nowhere good. "I know what he is and you know I don't agree with that."

"If you don't agree with him then why don't you just stop working for him?" she asked.

"Because Ginny, I can't."

"You can't, or you won't?" she asked, picking up her wand from the dresser. "You always keep secrets from me Draco. If we are going to get married then it's time for us to be honest with each other and if you can't trust me then we have a problem."

Draco knew she was right, but he didn't know what to say. He kept his personal life and business life separate and he liked it that way. It worked that way.

Ginny's things began packing themselves as she stood there holding her wand. "I'm going home. Come see me when you are ready to be honest with me."

"Don't go. You are going to have a good weekend, I promise."

"No, I can't be here right now. Pansy, your parents… it's just too much. And you, I just don't understand you."

"You don't need to understand me," he protested. "All you need to understand is that I love you."

"I love you too," she said. Her bags were packed and they began to float out of the doorway. "And I'll see you when you get back."

With that Ginny left and Draco was alone on his bed. "Well that went well," he said to himself sarcastically. He laid back and began to stare at the ceiling. Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to try to get his fiancée and his parents to get along after all. He knew it wouldn't be easy, but he had no idea that they were going to invite Pansy.

He decided that he wasn't going to worry about it. She just needed some time alone, to calm down and think things over. Sleep would help. Then tomorrow he would leave and make it up to Ginny with a nice dinner or something. Yeah, that's it… and pretty soon they would both forget all about it, like they never fought at all…

His train of thought was interrupted when his bedroom door flew open again. The noise caused him to jump up out of his comfy position. He was surprised to see Ginny standing in the doorway. "Ginny, you are back. Decide to stay?" he asked nicely.

"No," she answered, her voice full of anger. "I came back to tell you we are over. I was thinking about it and this can't work out. I can't marry you and I don't want to ever see you again. Don't try to contact me."

"What are you talking about?" he asked, completely stupefied. "Are you serious? Can't we talk about this?"

"There is nothing to talk about," Ginny replied firmly. "Our relationship is over. That is all I have to say to you. Goodbye Draco."

Stunned, he could not think of anything to say. All he could do was watch his ex-fiancée leave the room, speechless and frozen on his bed.

Ginny left the room, shutting the door behind her. She began to laugh, an evil scheming laugh that is often heard from the villains of movies. Her right hand figured an empty bottle that was sitting in her pocket, one that was full not too long ago.

Walking down the hall she began to talk to herself. "That went better than expected… now everything is in my hands…"


	17. All Too Much

**Chapter 17**

The next day Ginny reluctantly tore herself out of bed and stumbled into the bathroom. As she looked in the mirror she thought about the previous night. She desperately wanted things to be right with Draco, but she also did not want to ignore what could be warning signs. Regardless she loved him so much she could not stop thinking about him. She hoped that he would come home early so that they could talk.

When she thought back to their fight she felt a bit of anger rise up in her again. She wanted to strangle Pansy with her bare hands, but on the other hand she struggled to believe Draco when he said that nothing happened or was going to happen. Ginny never had a reason to worry about anything like that before.

She splashed some water on her face and then wiped it off with a small white towel. Things would straighten out, she was sure of it. There was the issue of his father, but she wouldn't let a Malfoy get between them, just like she didn't let her brothers' objections stop her from dating him. Their relationship was between the two of them, it was no one else's business as far as she was concerned.

'Stop obsessing!' Ginny scolded herself. 'Think about something else…'

With that thought she wandered into the living room. Her stomach growled and she decided to get some breakfast. In the kitchen she began to make a pot of coffee and while she was waiting she went through her mail.

There was some junk, a letter from her mother, the Daily Prophet which she threw aside for later, and then at the bottom of the pile was something that caught her eye. The reason it caught her eye was because it was from the Malfoy Manor, and needless to say she did not get mail from there often- or ever for that manner.

She sat down, still holding the letter in her hand, and then opened it slowly as though any wrong move would cause it to explode. Glancing over it quickly she noticed that it was rather short and that the name scribbled at the bottom of it was Draco Malfoy.

Her mind began racing as her brown eyes scanned the parchment as fast as they possibly could. With each word her heart pounded faster. The room spun around her and she felt as though she were in a dream. How could this be happening? She dropped the letter and fell back into the chair. Could it be that she was so wrong about him?

The letter was written on parchment with the Malfoy seal at the top. In green ink was the following message:

_Ginny,_

_You were right. I'm not being completely honest with you and I can never be as open with you as you wish me to be. My family is a part of who I am, after all I am a Malfoy and that will never change. I have thought this over and this cannot work. You are a Weasley and I am a Malfoy. It's just impossible. So I am calling off the engagement. We are over. I don't want to see you. _

_Draco Malfoy_

The coffee was ready, but now she didn't want any. She didn't want anything except for that letter to not exist. She reread it several times before she realized that no matter how many times she read it the words were not going to change. Finally Ginny took the offensive material, crumpled it up, and threw it in the wastebasket. That did not make her feel any better.

Minutes later she pulled herself off the chair and began pacing the kitchen. She couldn't just let Draco break up with her through a letter. That was so impersonal, so inconsiderate, and so aggravating. It didn't give her an opportunity to respond. Actually, now that she thought about it, it was an out for him. It was the wimp's way out, for that way he could break up with her and not have to see or deal with her reaction. That made her angry. Did he think that she was not mature enough to discuss this with in person, that she would cause a scene? Or did he not care enough to take some time out of his day to visit her?

The letter said that he didn't want to see her, but she was not going to let him have his way. No one was going to break up with her through a letter and get away with it scot-free. She knew that he was still at the manor, so she was going to go see him. If he wanted to end their relationship then he would have to do it to her face. There was no way that he was getting the last word.

With a new air of determination she set off to get ready, laying out a set of robes and hopping in the shower. She hoped that she would not have to deal with his parents, but at this point she was ready for just about anything.

Her red hair was pulled back into a ponytail as she set off for the Malfoy Manor. The closer Ginny got, the more uneasy she became. She realized that although she wanted to discuss the letter, she had not prepared anything that she was going to say. Instead she was full of a mixture of emotions that she had not yet been able to put into words.

As she raised her hand to knock on the front door she began to doubt that coming there had been a good idea. She felt so small and insignificant compared to the large and extravagant building before her. Her stomach felt all tied up and her head pounded slightly. Every sound seemed intensified; every movement seemed to be in slow motion. It felt like eternity had passed when the heavy door finally pulled inwards, revealing the short and scrawny house-elf. He looked slightly in better shape than he had been the previous day.

"May I help you?" Nimbly screeched.

"Yes," she answered, mindlessly fidgeting with her robes at the same time. "I'm here to see Draco."

"Name?"

"Ginny, Ginny Weasley."

It nodded. "Come in, I'll go get Master."

She stepped inside and watched the house-elf close the door behind her before scurrying off into the other room. As she waited she stared at the green fire as it flickered in the marble fireplace, as if expecting a head to appear within. That never happened.

"Ahem." The sound of a throat clearing brought Ginny back to her senses. Her eyes darted upwards, searching for the source of the sound. Lucius Malfoy was standing near the entrance to the adjoining room on the left. His long blond hair was tucked behind his ears, revealing an unsympathetic countenance. Ginny was too preoccupied to observe that he did not appear to be one bit surprised at seeing her.

"Now that I have your attention," he said with an air of haughtiness. "May I ask what business it is that you have here?"

His attitude was really starting to get to her, but she ignored it. This was not the time. "I came to see Draco. I need to speak with him."

"Ah, of course," he replied, repressing a smile. "But unfortunately he does not happen to be here at the moment."

"Where is he?" she asked impatiently. Maybe he decided not to stay for the weekend after all and returned home.

"He went out," Lucius answered calmly, saying every word slowly. He took extra pleasure in the rest of it. "With Pansy. He did not say when they will be back, but I suggest that you do not waste your time returning."

"What do you mean?" Ginny was confused and upset. She did not know if she could trust Lucius' word, but there was a big chance that he was telling the truth. Draco and Pansy used to date, so she would not be surprised if he spent some time with her now. Plus she did catch them alone in his room together… She shook her head, hoping it would clear her thoughts. It did not work.

He responded with a trace of aggravation in his voice, like she was forcing him to explain something that was obvious. "What I mean is exactly what I said. Draco will be spending a lot of time with Pansy lately and it would be in your best interest to not waste your time trying to contact him."

"He is back with Pansy?" she asked out loud, not really to Lucius but more to herself. All of this was too much to take. She was beginning to feel faint.

"I believe so," Lucius said, taking a few steps towards the door. "Now I do need to be getting back to something, if you don't mind."

Ginny glanced up and Lucius was motioning his arm towards the door. He wanted her to leave. She slowly acquiesced, taking small steps until she was out of the mansion. The door was closed loudly behind her.

"Took long enough," Lucius said out loud to himself, hastily shuffling off into his study. He returned to his desk where a bottle of green ink and a pile of parchment was sitting. A finished letter sat in the middle, awaiting his signature. Plopping into the leather armchair, he picked up the quill, dipped it in the ink, and scrawled his name at the bottle. After setting the quill back down he blew on the ink to dry it and folded the letter twice. He sealed it shut and then proceeded to the window.

A black raven was waiting on the sill. Lucius opened the window halfway and reached his hand out. The raven remained still as he tied the letter to its claw. "Take this to Cho Chang," Lucius ordered, pulling his arm back in and waiting to watch the bird fly away.

Meanwhile Ginny was back at her apartment. She had written Draco a letter after many failed attempts, and had sent her owl off to deliver it. Hours had passed and she did not receive a reply. The longer she waited the more it sunk in that they were really over. Draco didn't want anything to do with her. He meant what he wrote.

Tears began to well in her eyes for the first time in many months. One tear fell, and then another, and before she knew it she was crying uncontrollably. She didn't know that a person could actually cry that much. There was so many tears that her face was drenched, pieces of hair were plastered to the side of her face, her eyes were swollen, and all attempts to look presentable were futile.

Her long forgotten pot of coffee was now cold, her bed was unmade, and her mail lay scattered across the kitchen table. Frankly, Ginny could care less. At the moment she looked and felt just as bad as her place did, and she had no motivation to do anything about it. She kept repeating the past couple days in her head, thinking of all the things that she could have done differently. This only gave her a headache and made her feel worse.

So Ginny curled up on her couch, burying herself within her enormous warm comforter, and kept crying. She cried until there were no more tears left, and with red bloodshot eyes, a stuffy nose, and a sore throat she fell asleep.

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews I have received for the past couple chapters and please continue to review. I hope to update again within the next couple of days. 


	18. Moving On

**Chapter 18**

When Ginny woke up again she didn't feel any better. At first she hoped that it had all been a dream, but her sticky face and the balled up letter in the trash grudgingly informed her of reality. Her head was feeling better, yet she still looked like crap. With just one glance you could tell that she had been up all night crying because her eyes were so big, and there were bags under them. She didn't care.

Ginny walked right by the mirror as she entered the bathroom and did not even steal a peek at herself. She didn't want to be reminded of how much of a mess she was. It was too depressing. So after Ginny got out of the shower she called the first person she could think of who had the ability to make her feel better- her best fried Hermione.

The phone rang and she waited patiently. Then it kept ringing. No answer. Ginny grew anxious that no one was going to pick up. She felt the need to talk to someone, but she was hoping that it would be her. After all she was the one who understood her the most. Disappointed, she was about to hang up the phone when the ringing finally stopped. A voice came on the other line.

"Hello?" The voice said, sounding a bit out of breath. The voice was of Hermione Granger.

"Hermione," Ginny said, trying not to sound sad but failing miserably. "For a second there I thought you weren't going t pick up."

"Oh, yes," Hermione answered. "I just got in actually. Caught the phone just in time."

"Yeah, so how are things going? Are you busy? I wanted to talk to you."

"Everything is good," Hermione could tell that everything was not the same for her friend Ginny. She was intuitive like that. "But how are you? Are you alright?"

"Yes," Ginny lied, and then continued on in a kind of ramble, her composure crumbling the more she spoke. "I mean no, not really. I was fine before, but I'm sort of not doing so well right now. I'm not doing so well at all."

"Tell me what happened," she replied, full of concern. She rarely heard Ginny like this, never so distraught, and so she knew that something catastrophic must have happened to put her in such a state. First and foremost she wanted to help.

"Well," Ginny began, deciding to hold nothing back. As she spoke her voice cracked a little, but she did not cry. "It all began when we went over to his parent's house for dinner. Guess who they just so happened to invite on that day? Pansy Parkinson, believe or not. Anyway…"

She went on to describe the events of that night and the following day. Hermione stayed quiet and did not interrupt her the whole time. Then when Ginny was done she took a deep breathe and said, "So that's what happened. And now I feel like shit."

Hermione paused for a moment before she responded, like she was thinking of what to say. "I'm sorry Ginny. I thought that it was going to work out. Look at it this way though, at least you found out sooner rather than later he hasn't changed as much as we thought he did. If he is going to act like that than you deserve better then him."

"You really think so?"

"I know so," she answered. "And I don't want you to spend the next couple weeks moping around your apartment by yourself. Why don't you come and stay with Ron and me for a little bit? It will be a change in scenery."

"I don't know," Ginny replied. She was hesitant about the idea. "I don't really feel up to it, and it will be a little cramped if I stay there."

"No it won't," Hermione persisted. "We will make room for you. It won't be for that long. Besides Ginny, you need to get out. I'm worried about you and I want to see you. It will kind of be like a sleepover. We'll have fun."

"I guess so then," She caved. "If you are going to be like that about it. When should I head over there?"

"How about tonight around six? I'll have Ron make some dinner for us."

"Alright, sounds good," she said. She would have some time to attempt to pull herself together so she would seem at least a tiny bit sane. "I'll see you then."

The phone clicked and Ginny returned to her bedroom to pack a bag. She would need to bring some things with her if she was going to be staying there a couple nights. Maybe Hermione was right about needing to get out of the house. It had only been two days, but that could easily turn into two weeks. Moping was a habit too simple to fall into, yet difficult to get out of. She figured that at least this was an attempt. It never hurts to try.

Meanwhile Draco was back at the manor. He had trouble sleeping, so he had abandoned all hopes of passing out and went out for a ride on his broomstick. Unwillingly he was reminded of back when he first gave Ginny a ride on it, back when he thought she was someone else. Things have definitely changed drastically since then. Even he had to admit that he had changed, and Ginny was mostly responsible for that. He would do anything to go back to that moment.

The cold morning air and the wind in his hair refreshed him, but did not take the pain away or his mind off of her. He was too distracted to fully appreciate the sunrise and the fresh cut grass. The day was beautiful, but to him none of it compared to Ginny. She was what normally brightened his day, not the sun.

He landed on the ground with a thump and began to walk back to the house holding his broom strongly with one hand. His long robes swooshed as he strode across the grass. The mansion seemed miles away, but he liked to walk. The calmness of the outdoors was alluring. It was better than sitting around in the stuffy manor, which made him restless.

By the time he returned everyone was at breakfast in the dining room. Nimbly was busy in the kitchen. As Draco set down his broom by the door, he decided to join them. He strode into the dining room and took a seat. Only Narcissa addressed him.

"Nice of you to join us," she said, obviously irritated that he was late. She always expected everyone to be on time for meals, whether they wanted to be there or not.

"Morning mother," Draco replied courteously, but indifferent like his response was mechanical. He filled the empty mug in front of him with coffee and began to sip it. Once again he was reminded of Ginny. This was torture.

"So, you were up early today, weren't you?" Pansy asked Draco, trying to start a conversation. She did not realize that he was not in the mood for mindless chatter.

"You could say that," he answered, not about to explain how he didn't even get any sleep the night before.

"I never really was a morning person," Pansy continued unabated. "But it is lovely out around this time. I'm thinking about going for a walk later. Want to join me Draco?"

"I already went for one."

It was at this time that a fat brown owl flew into the room. Narcissa's expression became one of absolute disgust as it nearly plopped onto the table by Lucius. It stuck out its claw and revealed a piece of parchment tied to it. Lucius untied the string, taking the parchment, and expecting the owl to leave. It did not. He looked up at it seconds later and said sternly, "I'm not giving you anything, get out of here!"

The owl hastily gathered its strength and took off out of the room. Satisfied, Lucius returned his attention to what he had in his hand. He unfolded the parchment in front of everyone, and as he read what was written on it a smile spread across his face. It was signed Cho Chang. She had replied sooner than he had expected.

He refolded the parchment and then stuck it in his pocket, returning his attention to the table. "Draco how would you like to go to a Quidditch game next week?" he asked casually, taking a drink afterwards.

Draco looked up at him. He hadn't been to a match in some time. It could be fun. "Sure, why are you asking?"

"Because I have two tickets and I can't go," Lucius answered. "You can take Pansy. You would like that, wouldn't you dear?"

Pansy nodded eagerly with a smile. "Of course I would."

"Good," Lucius stated. "Then it's all set. Let's eat, shall we?"

When breakfast was over Draco was about to retire to his room to be alone. He wanted time to think, to maybe write Ginny a letter regardless if she would read it or not, and to get away from Pansy because he was not in the mood to hear her talk. He put one step on the stairs and felt something on his arm. Looking down, he saw that it was a white hand with long polished nails.

"Draco, can I talk to you for a moment?" Narcissa asked her son, letting go of him once she got his attention.

He had no idea what she wanted to talk about, but he nodded anyway. It had been a long time since he had a real conversation with his mother, and she had always doted on him. In Hogwarts she sent him presents and treats, when he moved out she sent him letters nonstop. To her he was always going to be her little baby.

She led him into the parlor and they both took a seat, Narcissa turning to look at her son. She smiled at him. He had grown handsome as he got older, and she could not be more proud of him than she already was. "Honey, is there something wrong? You seemed distant at breakfast this morning."

"I'm fine," he answered. Her concern was nice, but he was not one to pour out his feelings to anyone. His father had taught him to be like that. Malfoys are supposed to be strong. Sometimes he thought his father did not have feelings.

"Well okay then," she responded, not truly believing him yet knowing that there was no way she could force him to confide in her. She reached out and placed her hand on top of his. He had grown up so fast; she remembered when he was just a little boy excited to go off to school. "I'm here for you if you want to talk."

"Yeah, I know that," he said. "But there is nothing to talk about."

"Just making sure," she replied. "All I want for you is to be happy, no matter what it is that you want."

"I know mother."

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**A/N:** You know the drill, review:-) Thanks. 


	19. Quidditch Fun

**Chapter 19**

"Ginny, you should go," Hermione said, her hand on Ginny's shoulder. "You haven't been out of the house all week. The fresh air will do you good. Besides, you love Quidditch and it's been ages since you and Harry have spent some time alone together."

Harry had invited Ginny to go to a Quidditch match with him the following day. She had spent the past week at Hermione and Ron's place and Harry stopped by that day, excited about a pair of tickets he had won in a raffle at the Ministry. He said that he couldn't think of any better person to take than Ginny, for her favorite Quidditch team was going to be playing. Ron was completely jealous, but he had work that day anyway.

"Yeah sis," Ron added, sitting on the other side of Ginny. "Listen to Hermione… or you could stay here and, you know, give me your ticket…"

Hermione leaned back and smacked the back of Ron's head. "Oww! That hurt! I was only kidding."

"Sure you were…" she turned back to Ginny. "If he hasn't written you by now then I don't think he is going to. I'm sorry Ginny."

"Who says I was waiting for a letter?" Ginny asked, pretending to not know what Hermione was talking about. Really she had been waiting for a reply, but as each day came and passed nothing for her ever came. After several different letters she had given up trying. Draco must have really meant what he said, otherwise she would have at least heard from him by then.

She missed Draco uncontrollably, but at the same time was angry at him for doing this to her and for making her feel so miserable. Without Draco she felt strange, like something was missing. She was not able to concentrate properly on her work, and although she did not have complete writer's block she was not writing as well as she normally did. This disturbance depressed her even more.

Her mind often thought of him, and occasionally wild thoughts ran through it as well. Ginny thought about how different her life would be if she had never dated Draco for that story, that she would not upset now, but then she thought of how happy she was when they were together. Those memories stopped her from ever wishing that she was never with him.

Ginny still wanted to be with him though; she still loved him despite the cruel letter she received. There was a side to him that was sweet and caring. Or at least that was what she had thought. Now she was second-guessing all she had ever known about him. Maybe it had all been an act; maybe he hadn't changed at all. Or maybe she was thinking about it too much. Thinking about Draco was not going to make him appear in front of her. If only she were able to do that…

It infuriated her that she was not able to get the last word. There was no closure, and it was as if an open wound stood as a reminder of their relationship. How could she possibly get over him when she felt like this? Hermione was right, she deserved better than this. At least Ginny had the decency to break up with people in person; at least she had some compassion.

Well if he was going to act immature and not want anything to do with her then she was going to forget about him. Okay, there was no way that she was ever going to forget about him, but she sure as hell was not going to waste any more time sitting around and obsessing over him. They were over, there was nothing she could do about it and thinking about the past was not going to change it. All she could do now was work to make the future better. No more men like Malfoy. 'Men do not change,' she thought to herself, filling herself up with a new determination to be strong and get her life back to normal. 'And I don't need them anyway.'

"I don't need Draco," she accidentally said out loud instead of thinking it. Luckily Hermione and Ron did not hear her because they had gone into the other room. She got up from the couch and decided to take a walk. The fresh air would be nice and she could try out the coffee shop down the street.

The next day Harry arrived at the apartment to pick Ginny up. He had the colors of Ginny's favorite team on and a large smile spread across his face. She noticed that his usually wild black hair was shorter, cut into a style that she had never seen him with before. 'He must have gotten a haircut,' she deduced, opening the door for him.

"Are you ready?" he asked happily.

Ginny hoped that some of his cheer would rub off on her. She was excited to go and glad to see Harry, but she still was not brimming with happiness, which Harry apparently was. She was too preoccupied with her own thoughts to wonder why. "Yes, let's go."

The seats were rather good and when the game started Ginny actually found herself having a good time. Harry and Ginny discussed the teams and the players, stating which players they thought were the best and which team they thought was going to win. The atmosphere was amazing. Everyone was wearing team colors and everyone was full of energy and spirit. The fans were extremely animated, jumping up and screaming at every move the team made. They were all happy to be there and there was no way that anyone sitting in those stands could be sad, except for if their team lost of course.

The game proved to be as exhilarating as it was hyped up to be. The scores were close and Ginny had to keep darting her eyes around the field to make sure she did not miss anything. The players darted back and forth and everyone was keeping their eyes out for the Snitch because it was yet to be seen. The Keepers were doing very well though and Ginny had high hopes that the Seeker would be successful in spotting the Snitch soon.

A person was walking down the stands selling drinks and snacks. Harry turned to Ginny and patted her on the arm. "I'm going to go get something to drink. Do you want me to get you anything while I'm up?"

"A butterbeer would be nice," she replied, still focused on the game. She was thirsty, but she didn't want to risk missing anything by going to get something to drink.

Harry nodded and then rose, inching his way in front of the people who were sitting in the same row as them. He finally made it to the aisle and paid for two butterbeers. As he turned around about to go back to his seat he heard someone shout his name and he looked into the crowd to try and find who it was. A couple rows up sat Cho Chang, and she waved at him.

Several minutes had gone by and Ginny realized that Harry wasn't back yet. Her eyes searched around her looking for him. He was not in the aisle and the man selling snacks was down at the bottom of the stands. Then she glanced upwards behind her into the crowd and saw him standing at the end of a row talking to someone. A person had jumped up to scream at the field and then sat back down. Their head moved to the left and she could finally see who he was talking to.

'Cho!' Ginny thought to herself. It was no secret that she hated her and fortunately it had been a long time since she had run into the backstabber. But why was Harry talking to her? Unless… Colin had shown Ginny a recent photograph of the two together and Harry had been acting very peculiar in the past several months. So that explains it all…

Ginny felt proud of herself so piecing it together. It would account for why Harry had been acting strange and distant around her and Hermione. Him keeping it a secret would make sense because he knew that neither of them would approve. All the pieces fit together, but still she didn't want to believe that Harry was dating Cho. She watched them talking and then turned her head towards the game when she saw him start to walk back.

Harry took his seat next to her with an air of satisfaction. He had a drink in each hand and he offered one to Ginny. "Here you go. The game is going good, isn't it?"

"Really good," she answered, taking the drink and opening it. Then she turned to look at him, too distracted to fully return to watching the game. She stared at him for a couple minutes before he looked back at her. "Harry, what are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking I could go for some chocolate frogs. Want anything?" he answered innocently, not realizing that her question was not literal. His eyes were following the Seeker as he darted around in the air while he took a sip of his drink.

"No, I mean what are you thinking dating her?" Ginny replied, annoyed that Harry was acting so nonchalant about everything. He had to of known that she would find out sooner or later, so she didn't see why he was beating around the bush about it.

"What do you mean?" he asked, completely confused. Now he was actually looking at Ginny. It was apparent by the expression on his face that he had no idea what was going on and the whole conversation was way over his head. "How did you find out? Anyway, she happens to be a very nice girl and it's none of your business who I see."

"But why Cho? You know how she treated me!" she exclaimed, her cheeks reddening a bit. The people around them started cheering because one of the players scored a point. They were the only two people still sitting down.

"I'm not dating Cho," Harry corrected her. Now he understood why Ginny seemed to be upset with him about something. He realized that Ginny must have seen him talking to her, but other than that he could think of no reason why she would have jumped to that conclusion. He rarely ever saw Cho, and when he did it was only because he happened to bump into her somewhere. "What made you think that?"

"I ran into Colin at the Ministry when I went to visit my father and he showed me a picture of you and her," Ginny explained. For once she felt relieved to find out that she had been wrong. She figured that she should have given Harry more credit than that. He had once liked Cho in Hogwarts, but things had definitely changed since their school days.

"That? She was trying to get me to do an interview for her and I refused," Harry answered her honestly. "You know how I hate doing interviews."

"Quite the humble one you are," Ginny laughed. It was the first laugh in weeks and it felt great. Then she thought back to how he responded when she questioned him about Cho and got curious. "But wait, if it isn't Cho then who is it that you are dating now?"

"Luna Lovegood, remember her?"

"So that was why you were reading the Quibbler!" she responded, hardly believing what she heard. She would have never pictured Harry and Luna together in a million years, but you never know. "How did that happen?"

"When I was gone, doing work for the Ministry, I happened to meet up with her and since then we've kept in touch. After you and I broke up she invited me out to a Quidditch match, she was not wearing one of those hats this time, and we have been dating ever since," Harry explained and then took another drink.

"So, when were you planning on telling me?"

"I don't know, eventually, if it became serious. It just never came up." Ginny glared at him. "Ok, I admit it, I was kind of embarrassed. You know how she was at Hogwarts." There was a silence and then they both burst out laughing.

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**A/N:** Review time... Much thanks to those who keep reading. 


	20. The Anouncement

**Chapter 20**

While Ginny and Harry were having a good time enjoying the Quidditch match and reminiscing, Draco was sitting alongside Pansy across the field in private box seats that his father had reserved for them. Despite the great seats and entertaining game, he found himself wishing he were somewhere else- or with someone else.

Pansy was, how do you put it, less than par company for a Quidditch game. She did not quite understand the rules of how it was played and often she leaned over to Draco to ask him questions. One or two questions were permissible, but when you are interrupted from enjoying a game almost every five minutes it could get quite irritating rather quickly, especially when you were already in a bad mood like he was.

"Draco-" Pansy cooed.

She was about to do it again. Before she had a chance to continue he stopped her flat. "Not right now Pansy."

"Sorry." She leaned back in her seat and looked straight forward at the game. You could tell that she was not pleased, but Draco was not paying any attention to her at that point. The fact that he was oblivious to her pouting caused her to shift in her seat in an attempt at gaining his notice. It did not work.

After the game they returned to his parent's mansion and Draco escaped to his room before dinner. He couldn't stop dwelling on the other night, having Ginny end things with him. He was unsure of how to respond to something like that. In the past there were plenty of girls who wanted to be with him, and he was the one to end it with each and every one of them.

But Ginny was different. He noticed that when he first started dating her. She was not like all the other girls he knew; she was actually almost the complete opposite of them. Which was the exact reason why he fell for her in the first place, something he never felt before about anyone else. She was independent, strong, hot-tempered, and didn't let him push her around.

All the things he loved about her, however, were what made her able to leave him so easily. She didn't even give him a say in the matter. It wasn't right, and it left him out of control, which was exactly the last place he wanted to be.

What he needed right now was to get back to work. Work would clear his head and put him back to being himself again. Draco dressed quickly, admiring himself in the mirror. His hair slicked back and his body donning new robes that he thought flattered him, he stalked out of the room and locked the door behind him. Pansy was not getting into his room again.

He found his father in his study. Lucius was stilling at his desk and writing rapidly on a scroll, about to dip his quill into ink when he realized someone else was in the room and turned to look. "Draco, my son, how was the match? Dinner is going to be shortly, you know. Your mother just told me. Is Pansy going to be joining us again?"

"They were good tickets father," he answered calmly. "I am not staying for dinner, however. I have to meet up with Crabbe and Goyle. We have some things to discuss."

"Ahh, I see. Make sure they finished that job for me, won't you? If their work is unsatisfactory, feel free to do with them what you wish."

"I will." Lucius returned to his writing and Draco slipped out of the room and into the hall. His real work had yet to begin.

That night Ginny went to bed feeling a bit better about life then she had the night before. She was happy for Harry and seeing him had pleasantly distracted her from the reality of her break-up with Draco. She woke up in the morning feeling as though maybe the world was not so bad, and that things could only get better. That was until she saw the morning paper.

When she sauntered into the kitchen Hermione and Ron were already there sitting at the table. Breakfast was done, and there was a plate of eggs, bacon, and toast waiting for her with a large pot of coffee on the counter. The first thing she did was pour herself a cup and then took a seat.

Ron was shoveling his breakfast down his throat, as usual, and Hermione had the paper folded open, reading it between forkfuls of egg.

"Anything interesting?" Ron mumbled with his mouth still full of food.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Hermione replied sharply. "It is disgusting."

"Swarry." He swallowed. "Sorry."

Ginny laughed. "Seriously Hermione, you should be used to this by now. Ron is always stuffing his face with something."

"And who are you to talk? It's not like you're the most graceful person at this table. Remember the time…"

"Blimey!" Hermione suddenly screamed, dropping the paper and her coffee simultaneously. The paper dropped to the floor, still folded open to the page she was reading while the coffee spilled all over the table and onto her lap. Whipping out her wand she quickly got rid of the mess, meanwhile Ginny and Ron were eyeing her strangely.

"What was that all about?" Ron asked. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine," Hermione answered quickly, shifting her eyes. She picked up her mug. "I just need some more… coffee! That's it. I need more coffee. Ginny, care to pour some for me?"

Ginny looked at Hermione, her mug, and the paper that was still lying on the kitchen floor. "Was there something in there that startled you?" she asked, leaning down to pick up the paper.

"No!" Hermione shrieked, ripping up the paper before Ginny could reach it. "There's nothing interesting at all in today's paper. Just the usual, you know. I am just not feeling very well today, a bit shaky. I need some more coffee…"

"'Mione if you are shaky then you probably shouldn't be drinking coffee," Ron said, looking worriedly at his wife.

"Hermione, give me that paper right now," Ginny said, setting down her mug and glaring at her friend. "I want to read it."

"No you don't," she answered. "You really don't. Please…"

"Give it to me."

Hermione reluctantly handed over the paper. Ron looked from Hermione to Ginny, still confused as to what exactly was going on. Instead of getting involved he took another bite of his breakfast and chewed contentedly.

Ginny glanced at the page the paper was open to. At first there seemed to be nothing odd about it, it had an ad for a new wand shop, a column by a witch who gave advice, and then the wedding announcements. What could have given Hermione such a bad reaction? Ginny glanced up at her friend, who looked very nervous at the moment, and then back at the paper. She didn't get it…

Then she saw the article. It was one of the wedding announcements and pasted by its side was a moving picture of two people smiling. Ginny all of a sudden felt sick to her stomach, and if she had been holding her coffee then she would have easily spilled it all over herself too.

The heading read 'Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson: The Blissful Union of Two of the Most Powerful Wizarding Families Today'. Small print below read 'by Cho Chang'.

_The Malfoy family just announced last night that their handsome son Draco Malfoy is to marry Pansy Parkinson next month. The two attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry together and have been practically inseparable since, says a friend of the family. 'They were meant for each other,' Lucius Malfoy told me. 'Even before they realized it themselves.' Their story mimics that of a fairytale. Both born to wealthy and powerful families…._

Ginny could not read any more. She threw down the paper and put her hand to her mouth. The article was revolting, upsetting, and infuriating. She didn't know whether to throw up, cry, or to freak out. She wanted to do all at once, but instead would up sitting on her chair emotionless.

"I'm so sorry Ginny," Hermione said, not knowing what to do.

Ron picked up the paper to try to figure out what was going on. Once he read the article his face flushed and he didn't say anything. He felt bad for his sister, but at the same time he was glad that she was not with Malfoy any more. He always knew deep down inside that Malfoy was bad. Ginny had tried to convince him otherwise, but here was stone cold proof that he had been right all along. Part of him wanted to hurt Malfoy for doing this to his little sister, but another part wanted to jump for joy that Draco Malfoy was not going to ever become part of the Weasley family.

Finally Ginny pushed the other emotions aside and settled on anger, her rage exploding out of her. How could he do this to her? He was a good-for-nothing piece of… She jumped out of her chair and ran into the living room screaming, "I hate him!"

"Hate is a strong word…" Hermione replied, following after Ginny and attempting to get her to calm down and stay in one place. She was not very successful. She watched with a furrowed brow as Ginny was pacing around her living room like a caged lion.

"You are right," Ginny fumed, increasing her pace. "Hate is a strong word, but it's not strong enough. I _despise_ him! I _loathe_ him!"

Ron watched Ginny from the couch. He had never seen Ginny so angry, and he in turn became mad at Malfoy for doing that to her. "Gin can you please take a seat? You are making me nervous."

Ginny ignored her brother and kept moving. "How dare he! Oh, if he was here right now I'd…" With a flick of her wand a plant was sitting in the corner of the room withered and died.

"Okay Ginny, give me the wand," Hermione said, approaching the redhead and attempting to take the wand away from her. Finally Ginny loosened her grip and Hermione took it. "You can't go around killing everything simply because you are upset."

"Try me," Ginny replied brusquely.

After about an hour of this she fell into the couch, tired and sad. Her rage at Draco was replaced by melancholy and she began to cry. Hermione sat by her side and there they sat for quite a while, neither saying a word.

* * *

**A/N:** Hey, it's been a while. I just wandered across this and ended up finishing this chapter. There is still more of the story to go and I do hope to finish it. Anyway, feel free to leave comments or reactions, w/e. Thanks for reading. 


	21. Unexpected Visitor

**Chapter 21**

A week passed by slowly. Ginny's mood did not improve over this time, and it was beginning to worry Ron and Hermione. Hermione was leaving to go to Hogwarts for the class that she was going to teach and she decided to drag Ginny along rather then leave her alone with Ron, in which case she knew that Ginny was going to spend her time moping around their apartment. They packed their bags and Hermione kissed Ron good-bye.

"I'll see you next week," she said, clutching her wand in one hand and her bag in another. Ron was going to join them the following week for a couple of days to visit their old school.

"Bye Ron," Ginny stated, following Hermione out the door and then closing it behind her.

Ron had a plan. Actually, it was not quite a plan, but he knew he had something to do and he was determined to do it. Despite the fact that he still held on quite strongly to his dislike of Malfoy, he knew very well that his sister loved him. Seeing her like this was hard for Ron and it arose in him his brotherly protectiveness that reappeared every time he witnessed Ginny dating a different boy. This time was different, however, for Ginny was usually the one to end it.

So Ron was going to pay Malfoy a visit. He did make him a promise, after all, and Ron was not one to break promises. Or at least not promises concerning his younger sister. He slipped his wand into his pocket and slipped out the door.

He got the address from the letter that Malfoy had sent Ginny which he retrieved from the waste bin. The parchment was balled up and partly torn, but the actual address was still readable. The building was tall and a bit intimidating. A rather large man stood at the door in his black uniform. Assuming he was the doorman, Ron approached him.

"Does Draco Malfoy live here?" he asked, pointing up at the building.

The man glared at him and responded, "What business do you have with Mr. Malfoy?"

"I just have to talk to him," Ron answered.

"Is he expecting you?" the man grunted.

"Not exactly…" Ron was starting to realize it might not be as easy as he had previously thought to speak to Malfoy. He eyed the doorman and then looked in at the lobby. It was a large open marble room with a desk behind which one skinny man sat.

"Have the front desk call up for you," the doorman replied, opening the door for Ron.

Ron happily ran through the space, surprised that the man let him in at all. He did not, however, intend to ask the man at the desk to inform Malfoy of his presence. That would ruin everything. Instead he would improvise.

As he walked into the lobby the skinny man at the desk looked up at him and nodded. "How can I help you sir?"

"Actually," Ron said, attempting to come up with something fast. "I am supposed to be picking up a package here. They said they would leave it at the desk."

"What is their name?"

"I'm not sure, it was something I couldn't pronounce," Ron answered, faking a laugh. "But I have to pick it up it's for my boss and he will kill me if I return without it. You understand, right?"

The man eyed him and then nodded. "All right, just one minute, I will look for you right now."

Ron watched as the man turned around and bent down, looking for a package that did not exist. He took that moment to run as fast, and as quiet, as he could to the stairs and bolted up them. Somehow he managed to find the door that he thought was Malfoy's. He took a couple minutes to catch his breath and pull himself together and then reached out his hand to knock.

Meanwhile Draco was pacing around his apartment. He had spent the past week with Crabbe and Goyle, in which time he spent collecting some interesting information. It also reminded him of why he did not spend most of his free time with them like he did in Hogwarts. They were complete dolts, but they happened to overhear a lot of conversations. Being as stupid as they were no one felt the need to keep them at ears length. Being as stupid as they were they never realized the importance of anything they heard anyway, and they gave no hesitation in sharing what they knew with Draco.

Draco had spent the previous night writing out things that he had discovered, and that morning had sent it via owl to someone he knew at the Ministry. He was now restless and had no desire to sleep. He was about to potentially put several Deatheaters in Azkaban, and severely piss off his father. But no one would ever know it was him.

Yet that was not what was bothering him. He thought that by distracting himself he would no longer dwell on Ginny, but it didn't work like that. She was always there, in the back of his mind, especially when he was in his apartment. Every room had some remembrance of her and he felt as though he couldn't escape her.

Then there was a knock on the door. Draco immediately stopped moving and looked at the door. He wondered who it could possibly be. He specifically told the front desk that he wanted no visitors, and if the people insisted on seeing him he had to be informed of them first. That man was going to lose his job if Draco had anything to say about it, which he happily did.

He pulled open the door. Standing in the hall was one of the last people Draco expected to see, Ron Weasley. He left the door open and moved further back into his living room.

"What is it that you want Weasley?" he asked impassively, taking a seat on his couch.

Ron followed after Draco, but stayed standing. He took a breath, his arms at his sides, and responded, "I am here to fulfill a promise I made to you over a year ago."

"What are you blubbering on about?" Draco asked, slightly confused. He did not remember Ron making him any promises. This was actually probably the first time they ever had a conversation alone together. It was odd.

"I told you that if you ever broke her heart…" Ron began to answer, taken back by the fact that Malfoy had no idea what he was talking about.

"Your sister broke up with me," Draco stated coldly, cutting Ron off. He finally understood why Ron was there. He was there to talk about Ginny, which happened to be the last topic Draco wished to discuss at that moment. Ron obviously had no idea what he was talking about anyway.

"What? She told me that you sent her a letter saying that it was over, and she said that you refused to see her and you aren't replying to her owls." Ron was confused. Ginny was so upset because Malfoy left her, and now he was saying just the opposite.

"Well you must be confused because she came back to the Manor later that day and told me it was over," Draco replied, remembering how she abruptly ended things. There was no way that she could place the blame on him.

"No, that doesn't make sense. She has been over at my apartment these past few days hexing anything that so much as glances at her."

Draco was silent for several moments, staring past Ron. He was thinking, trying to make sense of the situation. Then suddenly he whispered, "Father!"

Ron eyed him like he was a crazy person. "Are you even listening to me you lunatic?"

Draco did not answer him, instead he acted as though he never even heard what Ron asked, which he in fact did not. His mind was too busy thinking about what he had to do to listen to the Weasley before him. "I need to talk to Ginny in person. Take me to your place."

"She isn't at my apartment _now_," the redhead replied.

"Then where the bloody hell is she?" he asked, getting annoyed at how long it was taking him to find anything out. "I thought you said that she was staying with you."

"She was, but she left today to visit Hogwarts with Hermione and Harry," Ron answered. "They are teaching a class there starting tomorrow."

"I have to see her," Draco replied, determination in his voice. He jumped off the couch and moved towards the door, opening it and then looking backwards at Ron. "I have to talk to her now. This can't wait."

"Ok, we can go," Ron said, still not sure what was going on. "But first can you explain to me what is happening here?"

Draco sighed with impatience. "I never broke up with Ginny. You said I sent her a letter? Well that wasn't from me. I never ended things with her. Actually, she was the one who ended things with me. Except now I don't think it was really her. I think that it was my father who wrote that letter. He didn't quite take to our wedding announcement. And it also must have been him when Ginny called off our engagement too."

"So you aren't about to marry Pansy Parkinson next month?" Ron asked, thinking back to the newspaper article that caused the death of every plant in and around his apartment.

"What?" he asked incredulously. "Of course not! That unbearable pest! Where did you hear that anyway?"

"It was in the paper," Ron answered. "In with the wedding announcements. Gin freaked out when she saw it. She hasn't been the same since."

"Oh bloody hell!" Draco yelled, furious that all of this was going on behind his back. "That definitely was the work of my father. He always wanted me to marry Pansy. I need to have a serious_conversation_ with him."

"Uh, yeah," Ron replied, not getting too close to Malfoy. He had never seen him like that before and he kind of felt awkward being in the same room with him at that moment. "I think I'm just going to go now…"

"Yes," Draco said, recovering back to his usual self. "You are going to take me to Ginny right now."

"Alright, let's go."


End file.
